Desire
by funnyfanwolf
Summary: Set in medival times, Phineas and Ferb are in late teens. Phineas is a young clockmaker and repairman whilst Ferb stands high on the throne as king of Danville, trouble arises when Phineas recives a summoning from the castle and a forbidden act rises that leaves both the king and the clockmaker in peril. WARNING. PHINERB. MAY CONTAIN YAOI
1. Chapter 1

_If you greatly desire something, have the guts to stake everything on obtaining it."  
Brendan Francis Quotes_

"What is your name, boy?"

The guard looked tall, his face filthy and square with a frown so deep it looked like the scar on his face had been caused by it. He held a spear in one hand, glinting in the light of the early morning, but glinting in a mocking way of which said 'look at me, look at how I shine now, I will shine more when your blood is upon me!' The boy shivered.

"Well!?" The guard yelled again, his voice showing a deep impatience "Who are you?!"

The boy shook the thought off and dug into his pack, lifting up the letter he had received a few days ago, upon it bore the royal seal and the signature of none other than the king himself. From receiving the letter, the boy had had fear that grew up from inside his stomach; surely he hadn't done anything wrong? He did as he was told, he followed the laws that the royals had set and he did a great deal of good in the store he ran with his mother.

He held the letter up higher, in front of the guard's face and saw the frown sink into a worried, yet deceitful look.

"I have a summoning from the king..." The boy said, just to make sure the guard could understand "Can I pass?"

With a numb, slow nod, the guard stepped aside and said "He is expecting you, please head towards the main doors and there will be an advisor there, go to her and she will lead you to the king... good luck..." The man's voice sounded hollow and cold, as if something terrible was going to happen.

"Thank you..." The boy answered hesitantly and walked on past him, walking past the great walls and through the beautiful gold gates that separated the brilliance of the castle grounds from the dull, dreary and cold world of the peasants and the poor.

The boy stared up in wonder at the huge trees that glowed emerald green and the pathways of cleaned cobble stone, the bushes and hedges cut in such a way they resembled animals, rearing in a cry of either victory or fear. Then there were the flowers, the many, many, beautiful flowers that shone in the sunlight, the roses burning as if on fire. As he approached the main castle, he stopped and stared at them, admiring the amazing beauty, red, his favourite colour, the colour of which his long pony-tail hair shone with too.

"Good day to you sir," a voice said and he tossed around in surprise. It was a girl, around his own age, with raven hair that hung in a long and platted down her back; she wore a long dress of shining blue, embodied with silver, designed in a way that looked like snakes were curling their way around her. She stared at him with big blue, shining eyes that showed loyalty and strength.

"I am no sir, my lady," the boy said and bowed slightly at her "Why call me such a thing?"

"The king has requested that you be treated like a guest until further notice, it is mine and all his other servants to withhold that word," she answered and the boy looked up "My name is Isabella Garcia Shapiro, I am one of the king's top advisors and you must be the...boy, he called for, your name is..."

"Phineas..." the boy finished "Phineas Flynn."

"Phineas Flynn," Isabella nodded and held her arm out towards the castle doors "If you would be so kind as to follow me, we will get you clean and in proper attire to have your audience with the king?"

"Proper attire?"

"Of course!" Isabella exclaimed and looked Phineas up and down a little look of disgust on her face "No need to be rude but, I don't think that those...rags, would be very appropriate to meet the king in."

She turned, her hair whipping around her as if, like the silver on her dress, was a snake, with one last look at the roses, Phineas followed on behind, looking around him in constant awe, up at the castle, around the gardens and plants. In front, Isabella smiled at the boy's funny curiosity.

Together the climbed up the steps to huge double doors to the castle, Phineas stared up at them, as high two of his houses put on top of each other, he gasped as the doors opened, pushed from the inside by six guards, three on either side, Phineas wondered who in the world could build such magnificent things, if he had enough money to get the right equipment, he would love to try to build some.

"This way please," Isabella said and Phineas let her lead him up the stairs that twisted around the entrance and up to the floor above, as she lead him throughout the castle, to who knows where, he marvelled at the magnificent architecture, the design was so marvellously made, so perfect in every way possible, even the floors shone brighter than any star could.

"This is your room," Isabella said, distracting Phineas from his thoughts, she walked inside and Phineas followed and stared around him, mouth open at the wonders within.

Bigger than any of the houses where he lived, just one room, with a huge double bed with red quilts and linen, curtains of gold and crimson and draws and wardrobes of dark oak. He gasped at the sight and stumbled back a little, everything in this room would buy him his own house, a workshop as big as the forest close to his home.

"The en-suite is through there," Isabella pointed to a small door at the side of the room "I will call someone up to set up a bath for you and get you dressed in something more adequate." She turned to leave "Oh and don't go wondering about, I'll ask the servants to send word of your ready and I will fetch you." She walked out of the door.

"Wait!" Phineas called and the girl turned around "Why has the king called me? I haven't done anything wrong have I?"

Isabella smiled "If you had done something wrong you would have been tossed in the dungeons and not in a luxury suite, no, I've heard that the king needs your 'opinion' on something, there is word among the servants that he may want you to do something for him, who knows."

With a slight nod to him, she left; Phineas heard her footsteps echoing down the corridors and heard them descend into the distance. He stood there for a moment, unsure what to do, but then his eyes wandered towards the huge bed and he smiled childishly and leapt onto it happily, smiling like a baby.

Softer than any bed he'd lain upon, better than the scratchy sheets they'd patched together at home and he sank into them gleefully, he must have dozed off, because later, he felt someone shake him gently. Phineas opened his eyes, a huge content smile on his face and the warmth of the soft sheets brushing against him comfortingly.

"Excuse me sir, but I was requested to get you ready for your audience with the king," Phineas sat up and there was a boy in front of him, maybe a little younger than himself, with blonde hair and pale skin.

"What's your name?" Phineas asked him.

The boy bowed his head "My name is Daniel sir, may I have permission to set up your bath now?"

"Err, of course, go right ahead..." Phineas answered a little hesitantly.

"Thank you sir," the boy bowed again and went into the en-suite, Phineas heard the water being poured into the bowl and heated. It was strange telling someone what to do and inside him, it seemed slightly wrong. He sat and waited until Daniel came back out of the bathroom and announced his bath was ready.

"I'll leave you to it, sir," Daniel said "In the meantime; I shall get your clothes ready for your meeting."

"Thank you," Phineas said and the boy gave him a strange look, as if he had just said words from hell, as if...he had never been thanked before.

For the next, well, what seemed like an hour or so, Phineas lay in the warmth of the bath water, he didn't know the last time he'd ever had one as good as thing, the water down where he lived was filthy nearly all the time, they were lucky if they managed to have a bath once a month where he lived, lying around in all this luxury was so alien to him, how could anyone have all of this? He stayed there until his skin became pruney and the water became cold, sighing with satisfaction, he climbed out of the tub and wrapped a soft, fluffy towel around himself and headed back into the bedroom.

Daniel was waiting for him, with some rather regal and beautiful looking clothes resting on the bed. He stared at them in wonder; it looked like they had been fashioned from gold itself, it was red and gold and crimson with lace around the cuffs and for the neck.

"Would you like getting dressed, sir?" Daniel asked.

"Erm, no, I think I can manage..." Phineas answered and ran his hand over the soft material "Though...could you wait outside just in case I need help with something?"

"Of course sir," Daniel nodded and left the room, this time Phineas didn't thank him, as hard as it seemed not too, it looked like the poor boy took offence to him saying that.

After a bit of struggling with the new clothes, the strange way he had to put them on and all, Phineas finally managed to look at himself in the mirror. He stared at himself, seeing a new person altogether. No dirt, filth or oil caked his face and hands and his clothes were no longer hand-me-downs, worn and scratched patched up from tears. It felt like he was wearing a cloud, wrapped around him like his mother's arms.

Smiling at his new self in the mirror he straightened the frill around his neck and called Daniel in, asking him to check his clothes over and seeing if it was all on correctly. The boy carefully examined him and after straightening out the lace and twisting the crimson waistcoat around a bit, he announced that Phineas was ready to see the king.

"I will go notify Isabella that you are ready to go," Daniel said and bowed.

"Please..." Phineas groaned, not baring it any longer, the boy looked up, fear suddenly caking his face, Phineas's expressions turned soft though "Just...Please don't bow and thank you, thank you very much."

Daniel stared for a moment and rose, giving an awkward nod with wide, shocked eyes and without another word, left the room, leaving Phineas alone to listen once more to fading footsteps down the corridor and suddenly wished for his mother.

He'd left her alone in the house, to take care of the shop and his workshop, she was worried sick when the letter of summoning appear on their doorstep but Phineas reassured her as many times as he could, that he had done nothing wrong and that he'd be fine and back within a few days time. He'd left her late that night with a heavy heart, his head whirling around in circles and running through the possibilities of release.

He didn't have to wait long for Isabella to return to him, she looked him up and down once more and she drew a smile of satisfaction and acceptance at him. Then Phineas was led once more are the castle as if on a wild goose chase, he marched on behind the young lady, whose face was turned up in grace, as if the floor smelt of something. Phineas recognised things as they walked past them, things he saw on the way in and finally realised that she was leading him back down to the first floor.

They descended the staircase and Isabella led him down the centre of the two sets of staircases, to the second set of huge double doors, they looked lighter though and thinner, taller and darker.

"Okay then," Isabella said and turned to the red-head "Don't answer him back, don't insult him, don't speak unless spoken too, bow when you meet him and behave! Alright?"

"Y-yes..." Phineas said slowly, did she say speak when spoken to or speak when you meet him? Her words had sprung way to fast at him.

"Very well," She nodded to the guards either side of the door and with a huge, loud creak, they swung open, revealing a huge throne room, with purple and blue flags with the royal crest on them, hanging from the ceiling either side of the blue carpet that let up to the huge throne.

He stepped forward, Isabella in front once more and they walked towards the throne, surrounded by woman holding trays of fruits and meat and the guards who stood face forward in constant attention.

Then there, Phineas saw, with beautiful glowing green hair, combed to the side out of the way of a pair of big blue, longing eyes and dressed in shining blue, purple and silver with big frilly white lace and with jewels lining his neck and fingers, was the king.

King Ferb the great, king of the Danville kingdom and the land of the Tri State area. How regal he looked in person.

The green-haired king looked up and saw Phineas as he halted before the throne, giving a long nervous bow whilst sweat poured down the side of his head. Ferb stared in constant interest at him and smiled a long, sly smile.

"That will be all ladies," he said to the woman and with bows and curtsies, the woman departed from the throne room, their giggles echoed in Phineas's ears as they left and he trembled at the thought of them laughing at him ultimate doom.

"Rise," the king said simple and stiffly, Phineas lifted his head, Ferb nodded at Isabella and she stepped forward.

"May I introduce Phineas Flynn of Danville, clockmaker and repairman," she announced and bowed curtly to Ferb.

"Phineas Flynn..." Ferb said slightly and leant back in the throne, as if thinking the name over, he then rested his head on a fist and smiled, his eyes twinkled with a strange, sly laughter and when he flexed his fingers, it felt as if they were running down Phineas's spine and it tickled with a longing the red-head had never felt before.

"I am told that you are one of the best at your craft, am I correct Mister Flynn?" He said, with a slight hissing in his voice.

Phineas shivered at the sound of that British accent, the great culture streaming out of it "I would like to think, your majesty."

Ferb beamed "Well then, here is your chance to prove it!" He nodded towards someone at the door and in ran a servant, pushing along a trolley of a sort, upon it rested perfectly sanded wood, all made into an exact same size and around it lay a various amount of tools and clockworks. It was placed before Phineas who looked from that, up to the king.

"I would like you to prove how good you are and build me a clock out of this material, if you can do that within half an hour, I will explain to you why you are here," Ferb said and leant forward, resting his chin on his hands "Got that red-head?"

Phineas jolted at the name and shook it off, he stared down at the tools and the wood, he could easily make something out of this, maybe even more than a clock "Yes your majesty."

"Excellent! You have an hour starting now, you may begin!"

Phineas wasted no time in starting, the longer he lingered the more time he lost and who knows what Ferb would do to him if he did not finish on time, he could easily do it within the time boundary he was given, yes, but the constant gaze of those blue eyes upon him was nerve-racking for some reason, maybe it was the power that the young man had in the palm of his hand, or maybe it was the chill that tingled down Phineas's spine every time he looked at him or spoke to him or whispered a word to Isabella.

Despite his years of expertise and knowledge, Phineas seemed to struggle a little with the task and even more so when the king decided to get up and circle him, examining the work Phineas was doing and breathing down the back of his neck. The smell of flowers and incense wafted from the green-head and it made Phineas shudder and it slightly distracted him all the while Ferb kept of circling and staring. At first Phineas believed that the king was looking at his work, until he glance up again and caught his eyes rested upon his own, in that split second Phineas felt something tug at his soul and heart and great, antagonising thoughts came into his mind, making him want to lunge at the king, in anger or in longing he didn't know, but just in that second, Phineas felt his soul tear apart. His heart skipped a beat and plunged into his stomach until the moment was gone and he finally finished his work with still ten minutes to spare.

"Hmm, very good," Ferb said in a long tone past Phineas's ear, he then returned to his throne and clapped his hands together, Isabella stepped forward, a piece of parchment in her hands and she held it before the king.

"This mister Flynn, is a contract," he was handed a pen and he signed the bottom of it, his wrist flicking to and fro gracefully "I called you here because I wanted to strike a deal with you, I once went hunting in the forest close to your home and I heard from a woodcutter that you were a great clockmaker, so I asked you to the castle," he handed the quill pen to Isabella once more who stood beside Phineas, holding up the parchment and Quill "I would like you to work here in the castle, to repair, fix and build anything I ask you to and in return I will pay you handsomely, no doubt you and your mother and father need money."

"Just...Mother actually," Phineas answered, looking the contract up and down, he missed the raise of an eyebrow from Ferb.

"What do you say then?" Ferb said and smiled another sly smile "Is everything to your liking?"

Nothing looked out of place to Phineas as he stared the paper up and down, just like the king had said, but it did say he'd have to sleep in the servants quarters and be treated as such by his superiors, but that was no matter, from the words on the paper, the pay was good and it would be enough to keep his mother going back at the shop. She wouldn't have to look for the next meal.

"When does this contract run out?" Phineas asked.

"Oh, either if I die or you die or if I ask of it to be burnt," Ferb said "But you will get weeks off of course, to visit your mother and other family, which will be sorted at a later date."

Phineas nodded and took the quill, placing it on the edge of the paper, he looked up to Isabella, whose gaze was now of a deep frown, eyes full of spite that made him stare back with eternal worry. Her eyes told him something, as if it said _Try anything foolish and you will pay!_ He gulped.

"I...Agree..." Phineas said and signed the contract.

Above on his throne, the king gave a chuckle.


	2. Chapter 2

_I do desire we may be better strangers." William Shakespeare Quotes_

The next few weeks for Phineas was spent fixing most of the clocks in the castle, a lot of them were just set at the wrong time and that was easy to fix, it was others such as the grandfather clock in one of the main halls that needed the most attention. Since a lot of the stuff was so old and so valuable, he had to take the greatest care in fixing it and replacing some of the parts. He was also asked to help with building new furniture for the castle, like helping choose the right wood and the designs of the seats and the tables, he was very good at it and in return, he was paid well too.

Straight after the deal, Phineas had sent a letter off to his mother, explaining everything. He told her not to worry and that he would come over to visit as soon as he could and in the meantime, he would seen enough money for her to get by, he didn't need as much over here though, where all the food was given to him. He was also given some new clothes, newer and much more expensive than his best at home. So after describing in great detail the wonders of the castle and its grounds, he had sent the letter off. Now all he had to do was wait for the reply.

He was also kept an eye on though, by both the servants and Isabella. She always gave him strong, demining looks that made him feel like he should sink right into the carpets or walls. Every time she walked past him, she stopped and glared at him with fire in her eyes, making sure he didn't break anything, until she turned her nose away and walked away as elegantly as she came. It didn't take a genius to know that she didn't like him, why, Phineas didn't know; maybe she was just doing her duty and obeying the king.

Also, as rare as it was, the king also stopped and watched him at work too. Often, the king would be either in the throne room sorting out laws and signing papers, that, or he would be out at balls and parties or hunting with lords and ladies. But on the rare occasion that he did walk by, he did stop and watch the red-head at work and each time Phineas could feel his heart thump inside his chest and the sweat pour down his brow. This feeling inside him he couldn't quite understand, he got goose bumps every time the young king looked at him and shivers every time he brushed past his arm.

Phineas sometimes turned back to the king as he worked, up on a ladder to reach a high clock and always saw him with a long, delicate and longing gaze in his eyes, staring the red-head up and down and it made Phineas burn with bright red. He couldn't understand this hot feeling inside of him, which seemed to eat him up from the inside out. It was only when the king nodded to him and continued that Phineas let out a huge sigh of relief.

After about three weeks, it felt like Phineas would never leave the castle, he often stared out of the windows on a break, out to the towns and towards his home. He felt homesick often and at night he sat in his bed and wondered how his mother was doing, how the neighbourhood was and if he would ever return. Then his gaze lowered back down to the gardens, at the many flowers and trees and plants. He saw Ferb down there too, striding on among the plants and hedges, pointing to some whilst his servants followed.

Once, the red-head had found himself look at the green-haired king whilst he strode through the rose bushes. How strange it looked to see purple and blue amongst the red of the roses. The wind blew at the young king's hair as he walked and Phineas could feel his heart throb inside him, he ordered it to be quiet as he stared back to the roses, how beautiful they were and how red, not coated in grey or withering like the ones his mother held so proudly in the lonely plant pot outside their house.

It was then the king seemed to sense a presence, staring at him and stopped, looked around until his eyes came to focus on the window. Feeling embarrassed and thinking he might catch him off the job, Phineas squeaked and ducked down below the view of the window. When he looked up once more, the king was away to the stables and then rode out of the grounds.

Phineas had found each day go by so slowly after that moment, he saw the king lesser still and although he thought is as a good thing, because his gaze on him would not distract his work, he still felt a pulling to go in search for him. But the red-head shook it off and got on with what he was asked to do, that was, until the day he received a gift.

He woke up one morning in his chamber, below the castle in the servant's quarters, a few blocks away from the kitchen, where every morning, he rose with the smell of bacon, egg and the beautiful aroma of fresh baked bread going up his nose. He stretched and yawned loudly, turning over to his old set of drawers and pulling on some fresh clothes. When he opened the door however, he found to his complete and utter surprise, a box wrapped in ribbons in front of him.

At first he thought it as a mistake, or that someone had dropped it, but with further inspection, he found there was a label on it, written with big looping letters 'For Phineas' with no name with who it was from. Hesitantly, the red-head lifted it up and inspected it. The paper it was wrapped in was not of the rich kind, it was normal, but of a fair price, not any of the brown paper he had back home and the ribbons looked regular too, of mid price. With a raise of an eyebrow he carried the box down the small, thin corridor and into the kitchens.

"Mornin' Phineas!" The sweet, plump cook Matilda beamed. She'd been like a second mother to him as soon as he got sent to the servant's quarters, she'd shown him around and named every servants name and sometimes snuck him extras into his room after a long days work.

"Morning," he said blankly and sat down on a stool beside the bead oven, debating whether or not to open the gift.

"Watcha got there then luv?" Matilda said once she noticed the box, she wiped her hands on a cloth and stood before the red-head, lifting the label and inspecting the box herself, a smile came across her face "Looks like you've got an admirer my sweet!"

"An admirer?"

"Someone around him seems to like you!" The woman chuckled and nudged the boy in the side "Go on then luvy! Open it!"

Holding his breath, Phineas did as he was told and pulled the ribbons gently off the box, making it so the neatly wrapped lid was clear to lift. Then, with slightly sweating hands, he lifted the box lid and gasped at what he saw inside it.

It was a single rose.

But it was a beautiful one indeed, bright red, with raindrops still hanging on its elegant petals, there were no thorns on it either, it seemed perfectly grown, the stem bright green and glowing, the flower itself sending a beautiful scent up Phineas's nostrils that sent a chill down his spine, despite the warmth of the fire beside him. He gently lifted it up out of the box, staring in awe at its magnificence and purity.

"Well would cha look at that!" Matilda said in almost a gasp "Ain't that beautiful?"

"Yes," Phineas breathed out, voice full of shock "Yes it is..."

"Your little admirer must have gone through a whole lot to get a flower as perfect as that dearie!" The plump cook turned and began to press some dough "It looks like it came from a rich flower farm, either that or they had someone find one like that, not every day you see a rose with no thorns! Fancy that! They must like you a lot luv!"

Phineas ignored most of what the woman had said, because in the folds of the box, right at the bottom, he found a note. He picked it up and unfolded it, reading the words inside.

'_Roses are Red,_

_Violets are blue,_

_Stay in this castle, _

_I'll come and find you.'_

The red-head didn't know whether he should be flattered or scared of the person who sent the gift would come and find him? Only if he stayed in the castle? Is that what it had meant? He read the poem again and sighed, still no idea who it had been from, he hadn't noticed anyone acting strangely about him, either that or he was too stupid to notice.

His eyes fell once more upon the rose and he smiled, lifting it up and smiling at the scent. Well, whoever it was, they had good taste.


	3. Chapter 3

' _We always long for the forbidden things, and desire what is denied us." Francois Rabelais Quotes_

Over the next couple of days Phineas kept an eye out for anyone remotely possible who could have sent the gift. He now wore the rose in the front pocket of his jacket, on show, where all could see, it didn't seem like a bad idea and by wearing it he may be able to tell who gave it by the expressions on people's faces when they saw it.

He got a few kind remarks on how beautiful it was and who gave it him and some playful nudges and tips on who might have sent it. He began to hang around where the maids and where they worked, purposely walking past the towel room and the sewing rooms. But none seemed to take any interest in him, nor did any look up to him with a red blush across their cheeks and it left Phineas with the almightily feeling that whoever had sent it may have left the castle.

But obviously that should not be the case, unless they have permission to leave for family reasons, permission from either the king or his top advisor, Isabella, no one was allowed to leave. So after a while, Phineas decided to heed the words on the note sent to him, he decided to stay in the castle a little longer so the sender could find him, in the meantime, he went about on his jobs.

Since most of the clocks in the castle were now fixed of any faults, cracks rot or fixed from repairs Phineas was asked to do new things around the castle. He helped assist the carpenters and the designers of the house and he even managed to find the castle librarian who needed help with research on the castle and its family trees. The old man also needed help with looking into other kingdoms and their heirs of which Phineas learn a whole deal about, much more than what he heard in town or on the streets from neigh boughs at home.

"Who is this?" The red-head had asked when he had found a painting of a young woman with long flowing blonde hair.

"That is Princess Rosa Maria Diana Learna of the northern kingdoms," the librarian answered, looking at the image over his glasses.

"That's a mouthful," Phineas remarked and looked over the painting again.

"She _is_ a princess young man and possibly our king's future wife," the old man stated and turned to his papers.

Phineas paused for a moment, almost dropping the painting and turned to the man, who hunched over his papers deep in thought "What did you just say?"

The old man didn't look up from the papers, but answered "The king needs a wife so he can obtain a heir to the throne, adultery is both illegal and goes completely against all the traditions of the kingdoms, it's also illegal to marry more than once, King Ferb has obviously never married as of yet, but the counsel and its members are trying to push him into marrying this girl, she's a princess of a wealthy family and also the daughter of our rival King Philip, if the marriage goes through and is accepted as planned, then we will be allies with the northern kingdom and there will be no more bloodshed between us."

Phineas stared at the old man for a moment and then back at the painting of the girl, young, pretty, maybe even beautiful and Ferb had to marry her in order to keep an alliance between their kingdom and King Philips. The red-head didn't fully understand why he felt so shocked and distraught, this had happened before, to Ferb's father, his father's father and going on and on, it was all about power and keeping a high status to the lower people, to show that they were worthy of the crown. Each time an heir was born; whether king or queen, but they always had to marry another one of royalty, or someone in a fabulously wealthy family, no peasants or servants or anything like that, perish the thought. But for some reason, this news of the marriage greatly disturbed Phineas and it felt like something inside of him had just broke and he didn't understand why. Eventually, he shook it off, but the thought still lingered within his mind, making him feel uneasy.

When he finally left the library, Phineas felt himself being very distracted from reality and deep in thought about everything he'd heard and learnt, past battles, kings, queens...Marriage. He was so busy thinking that he didn't notice Isabella walk straight towards him and when he finally noticed where he was going it was too late; he bumped straight into her with a grunt.

"Watch where you're going, servant!" She yelled and him and looked down upon the red-head, eyes full of fire when she noticed it was Phineas.

"I...I'm sorry marm!" Phineas said hurriedly and bowed slightly to her, but her frown did not cease, instead, her gaze went down onto Phineas's front pocket, where the rose lay on show, glowing with radiance and beauty.

"Where did you get that?" She asked, her voice in a slight whisper, with impatience glowing behind it.

"I...err..."

Isabella shot her eyes up into Phineas's and he felt the blaze or her deadly fire inside him, staring him down like a dead bird, with disgust and cruelty.

"_Where did you get that_?!" She hissed again and grabbed hold of his wrist, her long nails digging painfully into his skin making the red-head wince in pain.

"I...I got it as a gift!" He stuttered, gritting his teeth at the sting in his wrist.

"A gift?" Isabella repeated, as if it sounded foreign to her "From whom? You had better not be lying to me you filthy peasant!"

"No!" Phineas cried and tried to rip her iron grip away from him, but her hands would not budge from their perch "It's not a lie! I found it outside my room yesterday morning! It didn't say who it was from; it just had this rose in it and a label with my name on it!"

"Nothing else?!" the raven-haired girl spat and twisted Phineas's arm around.

He yelped in pain and quickly dug his hand into his pocket and brought out the note, holding it up to the girl who snatched it with claw like hands, releasing her grip on his arm. Phineas collapsed to the floor in relief, inspecting his wounded wrist and arm painfully, with gritted teeth, his breath hissing out between his teeth.

Isabella scanned through the letter, her eyes wandering over the words and the paper again and again, as if trying to determine who wrote it by the paper they used, or their handwriting. Then she scrunched the paper up in her hand and held in their in her iron grip.

"A rose was stolen from the castle gardens," she said, looking down on Phineas with a dark gaze "I went for a lovely little walk through the gardens, expecting the plants to make sure the gardeners were doing a correct job and what do I find, a rose cut from its bush, everything else perfect apart from this one area that had an ugly cut stem sticking out of the bush!" She crouched down, so she was right in Phineas's face, her eyes looked straight into his, the venom seeping out of them and poisoning his, the hiss in her voice as real as the snakes that wrapped around her dress "If I find out you had _anything_ to do with it, I will personally throw you in the castle dungeons to rot for all eternity!"

Isabella then rose and strode past him, her dress whipping against his face as she left. Phineas didn't move, in shock of what he just heard, the ongoing pain in his wrist reminded him that it wasn't a dream. All this over a rose? Had his admirer gone through such lengths just to impress him? Certainly it couldn't have been any of the gardeners? There was only one woman working amongst their team, but she was an old lady and she barely spoke to him.

With a sigh of confusion, he rose to his feet and climbed down to the servant's quarters, where he managed to clean his cuts and bandage them. Nobody asked how he did it, maybe they assumed it was from repair work, or he'd slit it on a piece of paper up in the library, his fingers were already caked in paper cuts, so it wouldn't be a surprise.

Phineas was just about to go back into his room to ponder over today's happenings when a messenger arrived at the door, a tall, sour faced man wearing much richer clothes than the other servants.

"The king requests your presence in his chambers, one of his favourite clocks is broken and he would like it instantly repairing," the man said his face upright.

"The king?" Phineas repeated, he'd never been inside the kings chambers, to most people it was off limits, guards were outside the room all the time and only the selected few servants were allowed to go inside to assist the king.

"Yes, so if you would be as kind as to follow me?" The man turned around whilst Phineas hurried to fetch his toolbox then proceeded to hurry on after the man, up out of the servants quarters, some gave him and the man strange looks as they left, Phineas gave a little shrug to some of them, as if he had no idea what he was doing.

The sour-faced man led him up the stairs and down a countless amount of corridors and hallways, inside, Phineas felt the excitement build up inside of him, not for just seeing the king, oh no, but he was so curious as to see what it was like inside the king's chambers, the architecture and the design work in the castle that he had seen so far seemed so magnificent and perfect to him, but perhaps compared to the king's chamber's it all seemed worthless. Then again, there was this strange fluttering feeling at the bottom of the red-head's stomach that ran memories of the king through his head and it made his heart throb with passion.

"We've arrived," the sour-man announced and Phineas stood beside him at the double doors that led into the king's room, but what surprised him was the fact that there were no guards whatsoever stationed outside the room, every time Phineas had walked past there had always been at least two men outside with swords at their sides and spears in their hands. But there wasn't even a single guard outside today and it worried him a little.

Without other hesitation however, the man beside him knocked on the door and from within there came the British accent that called out "Enter." The sour-man opened the door as gently and elegantly as possible standing to one side as Phineas stepped in beside him and stared in awe at the beautiful wonders before him.

Phineas thought all the other rooms had been wonderful, but there was nothing compared to this. The colours were of whites, blues and purples and violet with silver outlining some, a desk of beautifully carved wood sat in the corner of the room, a huge double bed covered neatly with silk and linen that looked so fine and clean, almost glowing with the dulling sunlight that streamed through the glass windows. There, facing to the outside world, was the king. He stood just as regally and brilliant as Phineas had seen him before. Not wearing as magnificent robes as before, but a plain inner of a suit, his hair stilled combed and straightened to perfection.

"Here is the repairman you asked for my lord," the man said beside the awe-struck Phineas.

"That will be all then," Ferb answered without a speck of hesitation.

The man bowed in reply and left the room, closing the door behind him, which shut, making barely a sound. It left Phineas rooted to the spot, unable to move and unsure of what to do but stare at the magnificence around him until his eyes fell once more upon the king, who had not turned away from the window yet.

When he finally did turn however, his hard, powerful and demanding gaze made Phineas's chest throb with a pain he had not felt since the very first time he had come to face the king and he gasped as those big blue eyes stared right into him, sending that same, beautiful chill up his spine.

"You...called for me your highness?" Phineas finally found his words, though they sounded like a small little squeak now and he cleared his throat and swallowed nervously.

"Yes, yes I did," Ferb said and a sly smile came up his face that made Phineas shiver and the green-haired young man turned to wall at an old grandfather clock against one wall "This clock belonged to my father and my father's father and so on and so forth," he explained and walked up to the thing, running a hand over its smooth wood "It's very valuable to me and to my heritage but it's stopped working, so, could you fix it for me?" He turned to Phineas who gulped and nodded.

"I will have a look then sire," he answered hoarsely and walked stiffly up to the clock, opening the glass hatch that protected the arrows and pulled the face back, being careful not to damage the thing, it didn't look like a very old grandfather clock, from his expertise anyway, it looked almost new, though, the kind did have top cleaners, maybe they were ordered to keep it this way. The king's warm breath behind him make Phineas grit his teeth nervously, he could smell the flowers flow from the green-head's tall slender body and up his nostrils, distracting him strongly from his work and he couldn't understand why.

Swallowing the need in his throat, he turned his attention to the clockworks behind the face, imminently, he could see it was in top condition, the cogs were in perfect condition and clean, but the clock had not been ticking when he walked in and when he looked over to the very back of the works, he saw the problem, something shining was stuck at the back, stopping the cogs from turning around to make the clock tick. He began to get to work removing some pieces so he could get to it and remove it from the equation.

"So, Phineas how is your life at the castle so far?" The king asked, trying to spark a conversation, why? Why would he talk to a servant? Maybe Isabella had told him of the rose incident and Phineas felt the worry and fear rush through his mind.

"It's been...very well thank you sire," Phineas said, telling Ferb what he wanted to hear.

"Good to know, I've heard everyone has been keeping you busy, more money for your mother then I suppose?" He continued and walked over to Phineas's left, his gaze so sly and so...beautiful.

"Y-yes, I suppose," Phineas said plainly, it suddenly felt hotter in the room and he felt the tickle of sweat pour down the side of his face.

"Do you have any siblings, Phineas? I myself am blessed with being an only child, so boring, such a lonely childhood," Ferb's warm breath tickled the side of Phineas's neck and he shivered despite the warmth and at the hearing of the king's words, Phineas felt a pang of sympathy, alone in this big castle as a child, father busy with running a kingdom and from what he'd heard, Ferb's mother had died in childbirth.

"I...I have a sister, her name is Candace, though she's moved on now and married, gone to the west to start anew," the red-head said, remembering the arguments and fun times with his sister when he was little, playing tag and hide and seek in the neigh boughs gardens and barns.

"Ah, a shame..." Ferb sighed, but he didn't seem to have been paying attention to what the red-head was saying, listening to only the voice and not the words it said.

There was silence for a moment, Phineas would have welcomed it, but the presence of the king beside him unnerved him, there was a clink of something and Phineas reached in to find what had caused the blockage and to his disbelief, he found a jewel, in the shape of a bird, in its centre a blue diamond shone.

"Oh my!" Ferb exclaimed and took the jewel from Phineas "It's the bird from one of my rings, it went missing a while back, I thought it had been stolen by one of the cleaners, maybe that's how it got in there," he smiled...maybe to innocently, at Phineas who blinked and began to place the pieces back into the clock once more.

"There are no guards outside..." Phineas said flatly and the king smiled.

"Oh dear, I'll have to see to that, they're meant to guard me all the time you know..."

"Yes..."

There was silence once more, of which Phineas finished putting together the clock and he clocked the glass hatch shut as he relaxed.

"Did you like your gift?"

Phineas should have seen that coming, though it still felt like a knife in the back and he whipped around, his eyes wide with shock but Ferb's gaze consisted of a wide, mischievous grin that cut its way into Phineas's heart. Ferb stood forward, so close to the red-head, that one each one of them could feel the other's heat and smell the other's scent. Ferb smelt of flowers, incense and soaps, Phineas of oil, machinery and fresh bread. Phineas couldn't help but inhale the sweet smell eagerly, the freshness gripping him by the neck.

"It was...you..." Phineas breathed, his face flushed red suddenly and his heart throbbed within his chest, threatening to break free.

"Of course it was me, who else would be able to obtain such a thing?"

He was talking about the rose.

"Why a rose? Why me?" Phineas asked, feeling the taunting, the mocking, the king had set this up as a joke, a piece or fun, he obviously didn't really care for him, he was the king, this was forbidden, he was going to be married!

"I see you from the windows of the castle admiring the garden's and their roses, I found that one especially for you, a rose without a single thorn on its stem, would you like to know why?" Phineas remained silent "Because you are my rose."

Phineas felt his stomach lurch with feelings, of an unexpected feeling that burned him from the inside out. A rose without thorns, he was perfect was he? He was as beautiful as those red flowers? Is that what Ferb meant? Was that the truth? Phineas felt his face burning; he was melting into the carpet. This was forbidden. He looked away from those beautiful blue eyes, the throbbing of his heart killing him.

But a gentle, perfect finger turned him back around and a deep, longing kiss planted itself onto Phineas's own, his eyes went wide, feeling rushed through him a wave of longing and fear washed over him, smacking him with its giant hands, telling him again and again that this was wrong, but the want and need inside of him shook and he trembled under the king's hold.

Ferb forced the clock maker back, until he pushed him down onto the bed, the kiss still held them together, merged into one, the red-head could feel the heat, the warmth, the need and the sweet, sweet smell radiate from the king as he forced him back onto the sheets.

When Ferb finally pulled away, Phineas heard himself whimper in protest, without even meaning to and he gasped, trying to catch his breath, trying to get this terrible, dark mess out of his head.

"Would you like to know the real reason I summoned you to the castle?" Ferb said between pants and began to remove his shirt, Phineas watched, feeling dazed and lost in the beauty of the king but he nodded numbly, this was wrong, this was forbidden, he didn't want this. Did he?

Ferb smiled, his shirtless form baring down upon the red-head until his lips measured up to the side of the young man's ear "It's not because of your work or craft, I never met a woodsman, I saw you as I galloped back...you are so beautiful," he nibbled Phineas's ear, letting the red-head let out a weak moan, Ferb's grin extended "I called you here for one reason and for one reason only..."

Phineas gulped and dug his hand into the sheets, glowing with anticipation, with the need to know, why? Why? It was _Forbidden_.

"Because I desired you..." Ferb whispered and Phineas felt the cold, dark chills down his spine, all the way through to his bones, he hated the king for this, yet his body cried out to him, cried out for more, the king continued "I desired you, nothing more..."

Ferb ravenously ripped off Phineas's shirt and jacket and the rest of the night was spent with Phineas drowning in fear and pleasure, his heart that told him yes and no and his head that would not seek to reason. Until finally, he shattered like ice beneath his king, who now had claimed him as his own, who had ripped his very virginity away from him, just like that. The final moments of his consciousness, Phineas smelt roses and finally melted into the bed sheets.


	4. Chapter 4

_"Desire, like the atom, is explosive with creative force." Paul Vernon Buser Quotes_

When Phineas woke up the next morning, he was still in the king's chambers, yet no king was in sight. For a moment he thought it had all been a dream, some strange, weird and sick dream that had felt like a living nightmare. But then he came to realise once more where he was and when he moved, he felt excruciating pain down below and he let out a horrified yelp.

After lying there, for what seemed like hours on end, no one turned up, he felt so vulnerable, so used and dead inside. Finally, he forced himself to rise and found clothes left clean and neatly folded on the desk by the window. He forced them on, his body aching and backside howling in pain and after a countless amount of wincing and moaning, the red-head finally managed to succeed in putting his clothes on.

When he left the room, again, there were no guards in sight, he wondered if anyone had heard the howls of agony and pain from the night, then again, his voice was muffled by the king's rough hands and Phineas felt the shiver run down his spine.

Slightly limping a little, his muscles aching, Phineas headed down to the servants quarters, did anybody know? Did anyone hear? His mind was a jumble of questions and worry and fear that swallowed him from the inside out and his breathing became ragged as the steps made his body hurt and cry in pain.

When he finally reached the servants' quarters, he saw that everyone was busy at work, as if nothing had happened, the world was still moving and yet he was stuck in the same place and time, he couldn't get it out of his head. The pleasure, the pain...

"You alright luv?" He turned to his left, Matilda was there, chopping up some herbs and Phineas stared at her, as if she was nothing but a figment of his imagination. "Didn't show up for ya supper last night, asked around, apparently you went to visit your mother for the afternoon."

Nobody knew.

Of course not, Phineas looked to one side and cursed himself for being so stupid, what he had done was...illegal, of course the king would let nobody know. Ferb must have gone through a whole lot of trouble just to keep this secret and Phineas felt a great lurch of fear grow inside his stomach, he felt sick. Nobody knew and if he told, he would be thrown into the dungeons, not the king, of course not the king, he was in charge, a word from a sole, silly little servant boy would not make people realise. The king could do anything. Anything at all and he was just a mere play thing in his game, the king could bend people's very will and change thoughts and ideas, kill if he wanted and Phineas swallowed. Nobody could know.

"Yes..." He answered Matilda simply, trying to make his voice sound as sure and confident as he could "Yes I did."

Whether or not Matilda noticed the lie or not, Phineas didn't know, but she gave him a big smile and turned back to chopping her herbs "And, how was she? She doing well in that little house all by herself?"

"Y-yes..." Phineas managed to say, he didn't want to talk anymore, he didn't want the comfort of people, he feared he might blurt out everything "I'm going to fetch my tools and run around the clocks again."

He turned and left, collecting his tool box that had mysteriously made its way into his bedroom without notice of any people and then he went back up into the castle's main house. It was just an excuse to leave, he didn't want to see people now, not now, not after all that and so he began to walk around the castle, viewing and checking and re-oiling all the clocks, going as slow as he possibly could.

Phineas felt himself work like a zombie, he ran like the very clocks he was fixing, yet his head kept running in circles and his thoughts wandered too far from the present. His soul felt hollow and empty, save the one feeling of fear and the itch of desire that nibbled away at his core.

He did his very best to avoid people too, especially the king, every time he heard footsteps come closer, he either pressed himself as far as he could into the wall the clock was on, as if hoping to sink right into it. Either that or he fled into a nearby room, or around a corner.

He carried on like this, paranoid, scared and his memories folding over and over in his head. As the day rolled into the next, he felt that he was being punished, punished by whatever almighty being was looking over him and stalking him, laughing at his face in a taunting way. What had Ferb done to him? Why had he done it to him? Turning Phineas into a scared little puppy that followed his dreadful master's orders and did as he was told, if not, he'd get a kick in the stomach.

Phineas had also tried to avoid the kings room altogether, but the third day since the event, he walked past, the guards positioned there once more, yet it did not exclude the horrid memories that pierced through his head as he hurried past.

The pinch of teeth against his ear, the rolling sea of sweat and flesh that coated every part of him, the boiling hotness of the king's body pressing against his own and the soft touch of the silken sheets beneath him. Then the pain and the pleasure, the fabric inside him that ripped as he was taken, but the smell of soaps, roses and incense that showered over him, the pleasure and the ecstasy that he drowned in and felt him all over with its soft and perfect hands.

Those big blue eyes that burned into his heart and soul and the long, sly and beautiful grin that made his face burn with fear if feelings and then the combed green hair that kissed Phineas's face and brushed past his hands as they dug into the bed.

The red-head almost staggered over in a faint when he came around the corner from the king's room, he felt horribly sick and tired, as if he had not slept for weeks. His face was burning hot again and the young man covered his mouth with one hand, feeling the bile rise up inside of his stomach, attacking his throat and threatening to break its walls.

It was then he decided.

He could no longer stay here; he could no longer work in the same place where the very tyrant of his soul lived. So he ran down to the servants quarters and stole away his things, stuffing them in a bag, not answering one of Matilda's questions, not paying attention to the maids and the butlers who stood and watched him as he ran out of the room, the sweat pouring from his brow and his face pale as the moon.

He marched out the front doors, ignoring the calls of the guards, the creak of the doors and the burning sun that set fire to his heart once he stepped outside. He could not stay, he just couldn't, these feelings that erupted inside of him were not real, no, they were not real. Fake, all fake, just like the king.

He headed towards the main gates that lead to freedom, the place he so wanted to be, to his mother, he wanted to see her again, to hold her and hug her and say he was sorry for leaving, sorry for abandoning her for this dreadful place.

But that was not meant to be.

He felt a hard, dark grip on his shoulder and he turned, wanting to screech and yell and holler at whoever had stopped him, he was not a fruit ready for the picking, he was free. But the eyes that looked upon him were not those of a guard, or of Isabella. But of none other, but that slimy excuse of a king and Phineas stared at him with a gaze so hard, he felt he would break his hands that were clenched in tight fists.

"Let go," Phineas said, his voice was hollow, dark and full of an anger that never before had he let out.

"Where are you going my little rose?" Ferb asked, he would not look anywhere else but into Phineas's eyes and he himself could not tear himself away from them, his face burned once more, boiling hot and threatening.

"Don't call me that," Phineas demanded and pulled his arm away from the young master.

Ferb frowned "I don't like that attitude of yours," he said and took a step closer, so menacing, so tall and so handsome.

Phineas glared, what he had committed was of the highest crime in the kingdom, it went against all laws, all tradition, everything that Danville stood for. He and the king had done that and Phineas didn't blame himself, oh no, he blamed the king who should be named more or less a brat and a tyrant than a lord on a throne.

"So I will repeat once more..." Ferb said, his voice dark, not playful "Where is my little rose going?"

"I'm leaving."

Ferb looked taken aback, shock coated his face for a moment, but then he shook it off and gritted his teeth, his face crumpled together in, not a sly smile, but into a twisted and dark expression, merciless, angry and powerful and imminently, Phineas regretted what he said and the kind took a step closer toward him, gripped his wrist in a iron grip.

"You are not going anywhere!" He spat into the red-head's face.

"Don't try to stop me," Phineas said, though he sounded a lot less confident now "I can't stay here after what you did!"

"I gave you a gift, boy!" Ferb hissed and leant in closer to Phineas who groaned as the familiar smell washed over him "A wonder gift that nobody else has else of your status has ever received before!"

"It's against law!" Phineas objected.

"Foolish rose!" Ferb growled "I AM THE LAW!"

"No!" Phineas howled and pulled himself away "I'm leaving!"

"We have a contract!" Ferb barked "You stay here unless I die, or you die or I order it to be destroyed, I am doing neither of those, you can't leave, I will not allow it, I'll see you dead before I see you walk out those gates!"

That was the answer, life would be living in the dark memory of those horrid, forbidden acts and Phineas stepped forward, knowing now what must be done "Then kill me," he said and Ferb's face dropped in horror.

"Kill me, if I can't leave and I don't wish to stay, kill me and I'll be free of you!" The red-head hissed, now he was in power, now he was the strong one, now he had the king under his grasp.

But the king's frown then turned into a long, toothy smile and he laughed as if something completely hilarious had just happened. Phineas didn't understand. Didn't he have Ferb under his control?

"Stupid rose!" Ferb giggled "Don't you know that I can do anything I want and no one will question me? With just a snap of my fingers I can burn down a town, or house, anywhere I want, I can send troops to destroy everything someone holds dear!" Phineas now felt a cold, dark chill run down his body, no, anything but that. Ferb saw his expression and the grin spread wider "What about your mother? I wonder what people would say if she was to suddenly die of a tragic...accident..."

Phineas let in a sharp intake of air, he felt faint and the sick bubbled inside of him. He couldn't he couldn't, he wouldn't...But he would. Like he said, Ferb was the king, everyone would do what he said without question, Ferb had everything he could ever ask for in the palm of his hand and nobody could stop him. Phineas sighed and dropped his bag, the cobble-stone floor suddenly seemed a lot more interesting to him now.

"Good..." Ferb sighed contently "Now what if we strike a new deal now?"

Phineas shot his head up, another?

Ferb took out a piece of rolled up parchment from the folds in his frilly clothing and unrolled it, holding it out for Phineas to see, it was already written, already signed with Ferb's name on the bottom.

Ferb held out a quill "This is a new contract..." He smiled "The new deal is this, you do everything and absolutely anything I tell you to do, without question, you will be dressed in whatever I ask you to dress in, escort me to parties and balls and my own guest and...lady..."

Lady? Phineas wanted to be sick. How could he do this to him?

Ferb continued, despite seeing the pale, sickly look on Phineas's face "You will be named Phina Rose, your father was a close friend of my own and your father has suddenly died so you are asked to stay here with me, you will be by my side all the time save from when I say, you cannot leave and you cannot talk unless I ask you a question and I will you to speak...Oh...And if you do not sign this contract, or follow any of the instructions on it...Your mother might receive a certain surprise in the post..."

Never before had Phineas felt such longing and hate towards someone in his life. Ferb was so gorgeous, so powerful and mighty, yet his beautiful voice only spoke lies and darkness and the desire to be better than someone else, to want anything he wanted and to receive it. Phineas hated his damn guts.

Ferb shoved the quill into Phineas's hand, he held it with shaking fingers and he raised it to the paper, but was unable to move it to sign his own name. He felt so empty. There was nothing he could do. Ferb grinned and held the paper up, so he was able to stand at Phineas's side and take his hand, Phineas felt those perfect fingers that had creased him that horrid night guide his hand across the paper.

"There we go..." Ferb whispered his beautiful, deadly voice into his ear and Phineas felt the tingle up his spine "Now you well and truly are...All mine."


	5. Chapter 5

_"Give me my robe, put on my crown, I have Immortal longings in me." William Shakespeare Quotes_

Phineas felt such humiliation as soon as the dress was sent to him. Now he was the king's personal, as Phineas would say 'slave', he was asked to wear women's clothing to disguise the fact that he was a boy. What Ferb had done would be inacceptable with the council and the people of the Danville Kingdom. If anyone were to find out what had happened between them, then they would both be dead.

Phineas held the dress up with a frown on his face, it was beautiful, yes, and simple, elegant and shining it's blue brightly at him. Blue was certainly _not _his colour, but then again, King Ferb's family's colour was either blue or purple, so he must wear it unless Ferb said otherwise. He hated that guy.

He stripped off his old, boy servant clothes and pulled the dress over his head, feeling so embarrassed with wearing the thing. He felt even more humiliated with the fact that he had to wear a strange thing around his chest to give him the appearance of having breasts and his face became flushed with red when he had put it on and stared into the mirror.

The red-head managed to put on the majority of his new clothing, and then stared at his hair. It was already long, long enough for him to look like a young woman as Ferb would have him do, but in a pony-tail he felt more secure and more like who he was, a boy. But with a sad sigh and frown, he let it out, letting the long red locks fall down onto his shoulders and back and then he turned and looked, detesting himself, into the mirror.

For a guy in a dress, he didn't look that bad, with his hair down and with the appearance of breasts, Phineas actually _felt_ like he was a girl, he hated it and he snarled his teeth at the sight of himself, his face red with frustration, anger and embarrassment. How damn humiliating!?

Then there was a knock on the door and he whipped his body round, half expecting the king to walk in, his face lifted up into that sly, mischievous smile and his big eyes staring down at him. Phineas rested his hand upon the fire poker next to the fire place, not knowing what he was thinking. Nobody came in; instead a voice sounded out and called into the room.

"Miss Phina? I've come on request of the king to help you into your clothes!" It was a voice of a girl, most likely a serving girl, in the castle; men were to attend to the clothing of men and women to the clothing of women. What was Ferb thinking? Surely this servant would notice if he was a guy?

"Erm, y-yes," he said rather hesitantly and turned to himself quickly in the mirror, staring at himself with disgust and lifting the dress higher up to his neck, this was going to be disastrous "Come in!"

A quite small, sweet looking girl with long brown hair came into the room, her servant clothes quite fine for her status and her smile was big and warming, it relaxed Phineas a little seeing her happiness.

"Hello miss, my name is Sarah, I'll be your lady in waiting," she smiled and curtsied "Does the dress that the king sent for you fit nicely?"

Phineas blinked and then stared once more into the mirror, yes it fit well, perfectly infarct, but the colour was horrible, to him anyway, he'd never really worn blue before either, so he felt rather cold and uncomfortable in it, a chilly draft come up his legs often and it sent shivers up his spine.

"Yes, it's beautiful," Phineas answered, a little hollow, but again, letting people hear what they wanted to hear. He also tried to make his voice sound as much like a girl as he could and that proved a little awkward.

"Let me fix the back of the dress for you miss, it's a little loose," Phineas stiffened and felt the girl's hands brush against his back and yelped, jumping away from her and holding the dress up. Suddenly he felt stupid, how would she react to this? His face was bright red and he felt oh so silly. But when he looked over to Sarah, he saw nothing but friendliness and concern on her face.

"Its okay miss," Sarah said and Phineas didn't quite understand, he gripped the wall behind him, wanting to sink right into it.

"I know about the scar..." Sarah finally said and Phineas blinked.

What scar? He has no scars of what he could think of, then his attention turned once more to the wrap around his chest that gave him the appearance of breasts, it was padded, yes, but it was also covered in a layer of a sort of bandage and he supposed it did look as though there should be a wound underneath it. So the King must have either spread rumours or told this servant girl of it, making an excuse for the thing around his body. What a clever king.

"It's what a rebel did to you am I correct?" Sarah continued, Phineas didn't know what to say, should he answer? No, Ferb must have already thought up a story, if he were to go and change it now, it may raise suspicion.

"I...I'd rather not talk about it..." Phineas answered and looked away, it felt horrible to lie, but for his own safety he had to.

"I understand, miss," Sarah nodded "May I?" She gestured towards the dress and Phineas nodded walking back to her and turning around, allowing the girl to fix up the back of his dress, that horrid dress.

"There we are!" Sarah beamed as she stepped back "All done up, would you like me to fix your hair up for you?"

"No, thank you," Phineas answered.

"Of course," Sarah smiled "The king as requested you come down to the throne room for the day's judging."

_Of course he did_ Phineas thought.

"Would you like to head down now?"

Nothing better to do was there? "Yes," he answered and followed the girl out of the room and through the endless amount of corridors and stairs and finally reaching the throne room.

When they arrived, Phineas noticed a lot more people inside the room, either side of the long carpet that went down the centre. Men wearing rich suits and ladies in fine dresses, all talking to each other, voices so strong and powerful but Phineas could hear the spite and greed behind them. Then, up on his throne, overlooking the entire thing, was the king, Ferb. As soon as Phineas walked in, he felt his eyes upon him and tried to hide the blush of embarrassment, all these people staring at him as he walked down the carpet, followed by Sarah who kept her head down respectfully. Phineas had never felt so vulnerable in all of his life.

As he walked forward, he saw a man, dressed in almost rags, being dragged away from the room, to a door on the far side of the throne room. He was screaming and crying; reaching his arms out for some sort of support but nobody in the room helped, nor even looked at him and heard his pleas and begs for help and mercy.

Phineas felt like he was out of place here, he felt afraid. But still he managed to get up to the King and stood next to the throne, not giving one look to Ferb, he would not give into his daring and dark looks. But despite that, Phineas still had the deep red smear across his face.

"You look beautiful," Ferb said softly and Phineas rooted himself to the floor.

"Who was that man?" He asked, trying to change the subject, still not looking directly at Ferb.

"Oh him?" Ferb said sweetly and in the corner of his eye, Phineas saw him shrug "He's a criminal, we just finished putting sentence on him and the next one is coming in now."

Phineas turned his attention back to the doors, where another man was being dragged in, slightly older than the last, again, dressed in something similar to rags. He reminded Phineas of some of the homeless people on the edge of the market place back home, there used to be group of teenagers, even families on the streets begging for their next meal, some had even resulted in stealing. One tried to steal from him once, but Phineas caught him, instead of getting the guards though, Phineas had given the child three apples and let him go.

The man was dragged forward and made to kneel at the bottom of the steps leading up to the throne, Ferb stared down on him in what seemed to be absolute disgust and it made Phineas frown. Judgement, this man must have done something that went against the king directly, this was the council and they all decided what had to be done.

"What are the charges?" Ferb asked in a very bored tone.

A man who had walked up beside the prisoner came forward, unrolling a parchment and read aloud "Charged with theft of food from the royal household and conspiring against you my lord."

"It's a lie!" The prisoner cried but one of the guards forced his head back down, Phineas could hear the man's sobs as he faced the floor.

"Has he been found guilty or not guilty?" Ferb yawned, Phineas shot his a nasty look, this was no way to treat someone.

"Guilty!" A few of the people in the room shouted out and Phineas felt the dark chill down his spine.

"Very well, send him to the dungeons for twenty years or so," Ferb said tiredly.

Phineas almost chocked on the very air he was breathing, twenty years?! That was a cruel punishment, too cruel, the man had probably only been guilty of theft and that was only of food, Phineas couldn't blame him, harvest had been poor this year. But really? Twenty years?

"No! No!" The man screamed and tried to pull away from the guards' hard grip "Please! My family! I just needed some food for them! My daughter is ill! Please my lord! _Please!_"

What disgusted Phineas even more was the fact that Ferb didn't even give the man a second look, he seemed a lot more interested in the tapestries on the wall all of a sudden, even when the man mentioned his child. Phineas had seen lies before, this was not lies, this was pure truth, he could hear the pure desperation and panic in the man's voice and those real tears streaming down his cheeks in waterfalls of fear and sorrow.

"Sire! Please! My family! They're starving and she's sick! I can't leave them like this!"

Ferb rolled his eyes over to the man once more, Phineas hoped that Ferb would finally see reason and give the man mercy, but his hope proved futile when Ferb said "His shouting annoys me, put him to death instead."

Phineas felt sick. In all different ways, his head span and his swayed a little on the spot, so much in fact, that he had to reach out to the throne for support, the soft sound of his hand thudding against the wood made Ferb turn around. This time Phineas didn't look at the king in anger, he looked upon him in fear and pain, all this time he'd been throwing people into the dungeons and into the hangman's noose without a proper trial or any evidence or any means of getting out. This was all so unfair. His stomach did flips inside of him as he heard the man scream even louder. Everything in the room seemed a whole lot louder now, the murmurs of the men and the giggles of the women and the laughter of someone in the room.

"Let him go," Phineas whispered, at first he thought he said it to himself but then he looked up to see Ferb glaring at him in shock "Let him go."

Ferb frowned, the dark rising up into his eyes "Why should I? He did me wrong, he stole and he conspired, he'll get what he deserves."

"What proof is there that he conspired against you?" Phineas growled "What proof is there? Stealing food for a hungry family is all he did, throwing him in the dungeons away from his home and family is wrong and killing him even more so, that little daughter of his will either die or live the rest of her life thinking what happened to her father, why he didn't come back or why he was put to death!"

For a moment Ferb relaxed his angry expression, Phineas wondered if he could see the few sparkles of tears that stung the corner of his eyes. But then the green-head snarled, grabbing Phineas's wrist in a tight, dark grip.

"I am the law, don't you ever question me or you will pay!" He growled and thrust Phineas's arm away, leaving him almost stumbling backwards.

"What did he ever do wrong to you? Let him go!" Phineas plead; the man's screaming was dimming as he headed towards that far door, leaving Phineas in a shaking fit.

The young king turned to the red-head, his face serious, plain, bored and dark, years of being alone or being ignored and having so much expected of him tore Phineas down into the floor and his blood turned a horrible shade of blue and froze there when Ferb opened his mouth and uttered the most foul word Phineas could ever hear him say.

"No."

"You sick bastard..." Phineas whispered, the tears forming a little in his eyes.

Ferb didn't answer; he just turned away and stared at the tapestry once more. Phineas couldn't stay here, how could he? With a monster like this in its very walls. For a moment he wished that the fire poker from his room was in his hands now, but it would be a stupid thing to do, considering all the guards. He never knew he would hate someone as much as he hated Ferb at that very moment.

"Why don't you go out and smell the flowers..." Ferb muttered and turned slightly, so the glint of sunlight streaming through the windows shined from them, Phineas's heart throbbed in his chest "My little Rose."

_Bastard_ Phineas nodded slightly and marched out of the room, followed by Sarah once more, who had not said a single word through the entire thing, Phineas wondered if she had been through this before.

When he stepped out of the throne room and those big doors slammed shut behind him, Phineas let out a huge sigh of relief that turned into more of a sob than anything and he sniffled loudly, wiping away the beginnings of tears from his eyes.

"Miss?" Sarah asked and put a gentle hand on Phineas's arm.

"I-I'm fine..." He said and took a deep breath "Let's go to the gardens, okay?"

"Of course Miss," she answered and led the way to the gardens.

The flowers put Phineas's mind off everything that had happened before, he had not really seen all the plants this close up since the first day coming to the castle. It was nice to see all the flowers in bloom, all the many different colours shining in the sunlight and the green glowing its emerald spectrums across the world. It made him wonder how they all could look so happy and beautiful at a time like this.

He had a little bit of a conversation with Sarah too, she was a nice girl, sweet and kind and she treated Phineas very well, as if he was just as fragile as the flowers they were looking at. From her he learned that she had a mother and father who worked in town, they were doing very well apparently and she also had three elder brothers who had gone off to seek their fortune apart from one, who worked as a key maker in town too. She asked Phineas a few questions about his home, but since he'd ran off from Ferb, he didn't know what the king had told her. So he just told her the obvious and if it was wrong, it may be easy to change later.

Finally, the subject came up from what happened inside and Phineas found himself chocking on his words in frustration and anger. Sarah though, recognised this and took his hand kindly, smiling at him in a reassuring way.

"What you said back there...it was brave," she said "Nobody really stands up to the king, but you did, he must either favour you or you're stronger than he is."

Phineas chuckled a little "I'm not strong; I'm scared of him... Just like everyone else..." He admitted and looked over to the tulips.

"You were childhood friends were you not? When both your fathers talked more often," she said "He must remember, so therefore didn't punish you, he must favour you then."

Phineas stared at the tulip petals in sudden fascination "I suppose..."

"Well, well, well, what a pretty sight!" Both Phineas and Sarah turned to Isabella who walked up behind them, her eyes narrowed with spite but hidden beneath a long smile, her words sounded sarcastic, but that was covered with a kindness that seemed all too fake to Phineas.

Sarah bowed her head a little to Isabella, who looked down at the girl in a snotty, dark way, but still she spoke, her tone demanding "Please wait over by the pillars girl, I would like to talk to Miss Rose around the garden a while, a little..." She stared intently at Phineas "_Girly_ chat."

Sarah didn't object, she bowed a little more and backed away until she finally turned and headed towards the pillars on the other side of the gardens that led into the side of the castle. Phineas watched Isabella, fear growing up inside of him, she knew, obviously, she was the king's top advisor, so he may have told her already, if not, she would have grabbed him and hissed like a snake. She acted kindly too, too kindly with that touch of the devil and sarcasm in her voice.

When Sarah went out of sight behind the hedges, Isabella shot her head around to Phineas, who remained unmoved but with the bubbling fear over heating him. Her eyes were cold as they stared upon him, as if she wanted to freeze him just by staring him down and it actually felt like she was succeeding too, because he couldn't move an inch.

"You know?" Phineas muttered, his words coming by themselves.

"Yes, yes I do," she said and her face went into such a frown that she looked a lot older than she was "Why don't we take a stroll?" She asked casually and held out a arm to the rest of the garden, Phineas only nodded in reply and followed on after her, the many colours of the flowers spreading out their sweet scents. His dress followed on behind him, his legs felt chilly and cold and he couldn't understand how girls could wear them all the time and he shivered a little at the feeling.

They walked in silence for a moment until Isabella spoke, calmly, as if it meant nothing to her, but Phineas knew it was way more than that "Both myself and the king have been very close since childhood, since birth we have been together," she turned slightly to Phineas, her gaze slightly harder, yet her voice remained unturned "He is a very...Important man, if you ever, ever hurt him in any way, or get him into the situation where his life is at risk, I will personally throw you in those dungeons!"

Phineas gulped.

"On another note..." They walked past a patch of lavender, the smell sweetening the air around them "The king has asked me to tell you of the story he's made up for you, you already know that he's made it so both your father's used to be close friends, well ,your father as we say it, was killed by a rebels attack on the castle, it was fast and sneaky, you tried to protect him when the fire spread and stood in the wrong place at the wrong time, not only did the burns scorch your body but you were seriously wounded in the attack..." Isabella looked down to Phineas's fake breasts and she rolled her eyes in disgust, Phineas turned a brighter shade of red in embarrassment and turned his body away "So, nobody should bother you about that thing...Also, you were childhood friends with the king, playing in the fields, horseback riding, hide and seek, whatever kids do when they're young. Have you got that?"

"Yes," Phineas said plainly, almost not wanting to believe what he was hearing, this was completely and utterly ridiculous and the more he stared at Isabella the more he wondered how much she _really_ knew...Did she know what Ferb had done to him? How did the king explain about Phineas suddenly wearing a dress and acting like a woman? He was a clever guy, so Phineas couldn't possibly think of anything himself to come up with as an excuse.

"Good..." Isabella continued "You will still be asked to do whatever the king tells you and nothing more, if he asks you to do something, do it, not question!" Phineas nodded and stared to the floor, then he felt the ice cold hand of the girl grip onto his arm again and his head darted up into her venomous eyes.

"If you so much as go against him, conspire against him or push him away from his duties or work, then I know the next thing to push my blade against!" She hissed and pushed him away, slinking away like a cat that had just caught its kill.

Phineas stood there, in shock and in fear. Isabella was very protective over the king, if what she had said was true, then Phineas had no choice, despite Isabella being a girl, it didn't change the fact that she was strong. Her very voice spat with the essence of a raging fire, it scared Phineas and it taught him never to get in her way.

He thought of Ferb once more, how he didn't seem bothered at all about the man they had dragged away to be put to death, Phineas thought about the man's family, his sick daughter and he stifled a painful lump in his throat. Ferb's gaze was always so sly and so regal, every time he stared at him Phineas had got the chills, but that time was different and more hate for the green-haired king arose in his mind and he sighed in frustration.

He thought being a servant was hard, being a noble would be even harder and as he went back to Sarah, he still couldn't get the man's screams from before out of his head and wondered if he would ever be doing that sometime soon.


	6. Chapter 6

_"Serendipity. Look for something, find something else, and realize that what you've found is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for."  
Lawrence Block Quotes_

Life seemed a whole lot more tiresome for Phineas, not because it was hard work, oh no, he didn't have to work at all and that was the problem. He was waited on his every hand and foot; he was served food, endless amounts of it, dressed, bathed (though he tried not to be) and so much more. How he bored so easily, how much he wanted to be in his old workshop back home with his mother giving him stale cookies and him jotting down and inventing. How much he wanted the feel of the clockworks in his hands, the smell of oil and machinery around him. But he was forced to be treated like the ass of royalty himself.

Sarah, of course, followed him everywhere, talked to him and it seemed like she would be the only one close enough to be a friend. Though she did not stray too far, she always stuck with the same conversations, she was not allowed to talk of too personal matters or anything like that, no, stepping out of line could mean the sack, eyes were everywhere. Phineas half expected Isabella to be around every corner and hedge and it made him more paranoid than ever.

The judging, Phineas did not attend to anymore; it was the only time that he was not by the king's side, which gladdened him. He wouldn't have to put up with the screams and Ferb's gaze upon him, whilst those who 'wronged' him were sent away to hell. It gave Phineas more of a chance to be free, not very free really, he was not allowed to leave the castle grounds at all but at least he could get away from the crowds and prying eyes.

Being with the King every other time of the day though, that did get annoying and Phineas often found himself fighting urges and feelings back. Things that he should never think or feel towards the king and he hated himself for it. He blamed Ferb, every time he looked over to the red-head he made a face, a face as such that sent so many messages over to Phineas that it made his face burn hot, he felt Ferb was doing it purposely. That long thin grin, filled with the slyness of a fox and a strange darkness swarmed with light made Phineas sink into his chair, almost wanting to be the chair itself.

There was one time that they were both sitting under a canopy of flowers and ivy, with petty little white furniture underneath it, they both sat opposite each other on the table, if Phineas didn't hate the king so much, he would have loved the scene, even might have thought it...romantic. But Ferb kept staring and giving that look that made him grumble in frustration.

"You shouldn't give such a sour face," Ferb said and lifted up his cup of tea, smiling slightly over the tip of the mug, the steam hugging his eyes "It hides your beautiful face."

Phineas burned red again and hid behind his own cup whilst Ferb sipped from his own. The dress that roped the red-head suddenly felt a whole lot tighter, Ferb looked up again slightly from his drink, catching Phineas's eyes once more and instead of the mischievous grin, Phineas saw the monster from the throne room once more and his eyebrows arched into an angry frown. Ferb did not see it.

Phineas detested Ferb's lack of interest with his own country, with his own land and its suffering people. It was easy for him, all his life he had had things served to him on a silver platter, served with a golden fork with a dash of 'anything-I-want' on the side. In frustration, Phineas slammed his cup down onto the table, hunching over the table, Ferb didn't look the slightest bit shocked.

"Why didn't you let him go?" Phineas muttered, that made Ferb stop, oh yes it did, that same dark gaze fell upon Phineas like a rainstorm, but Phineas was determined to stand his ground and not to be forced down by the king.

"Why?" He repeated.

Ferb slowly put down the cup, closing his eyes, as if thinking and said "Must there be a reason?"

"Yes," Phineas growled "Yes there must, you can't just put an innocent man to death."

"Well," he opened them again, staring Phineas down "I can."

"That doesn't make it the right thing to do," Phineas's own stare hardened. He would not be weak.

"What is right then my dear Rose?" Ferb asked.

"Certainly not to kill someone."

"What if it was a murderer?"

He was playing with him now, mocking his words. "Then he should be trailed fairly still and thrown in the prison for a few years, killing someone does not make things better, even if he was a murder, there is still room for change, killing him would make you just as bad as he."

Ferb chuckled and leant back in the chair "It's funny..." He stared up at the top of the canopy "I was always taught that killing showed you were strong, showing mercy would show weakness, I will not be weak."

"Showing kindness and love is not a weakness, it only makes you stronger," Phineas said, his face softening a little more.

"I was never shown such love," Ferb simply said and it sent a jolt through Phineas's heart.

Ferb looked over to him, with his lost expression and smiled, a little bit more...caring than the times before, if that was the correct term to use. Ferb then reached across the table and took Phineas's hand, kissing it softly, making Phineas's stomach flutter and fly inside of him, the flush of pink padded his face. Those perfect lips brushed his skin so tenderly and sweetly, that Phineas almost had to stop himself from falling off his chair.

"I will call for you later," was all Ferb said, before getting up and walking away, followed by his many servants and people. Phineas was left with Sarah, who helped him rise to his feet, suddenly he felt shaky.

Phineas remembered the days of Ferb's father, it still had been hard for him, as a child, but he could run and play in the fields with the neigh bough's children and he would be held and kissed by his mother when it was night time. What did Ferb have? His mother died at his birth, he must have been raised by servants, looked down on by his father as the boy who killed his wife, never held in such a way of comfort, only scolded for crying and told to stand straight and learn his letters and numbers. Would that be what it had been like for Ferb? With the world so cruel to him, would that mean Ferb would take all of it out upon the world in revenge?

Phineas let out a sigh of sadness, as much as he hated the king, he could only pity him then, pity for the child he once was, the child that he may have never been.

"He tries for you my lady," Sarah said suddenly, Phineas almost forgot she was there.

"Pardon?" He asked and shook her hand off of him, straightening the dress's folds.

"He plainly wants to bond with you miss, but you push him away, why is that?" She asked, Phineas wondered if she had asked a question that may result in pain later, but Phineas only looked up and thought, trying to imagine a green-haired child running through the castle corridors, hiding from the servants and stealing cookies from the kitchens. It didn't work.

"He's not the Ferb I once knew," was all he replied with.

Days out with the king were not the only joys that Phineas had to embrace though; he had to go to balls and parties with him. That was the worst. Every time he would dress up in rich beautiful dresses, blue, or silver or purple, of which he hated and he was told to stand around by Ferb's side all night long, he had to eat beside him, talk with his peers and even some of his council and it was horrible. He tried to maintain a girlish voice and tried to talk like a girl would, about the jewels, the dress and the magnificent gardens and buildings. Even the king.

Each time though, he feared that he would let something slip by accident, he stuttered a little at his words and sometimes his voice would die back into his regular talking voice, which left him panicking. But it was always Ferb who rescued him, in some way. He butted into a conversation, or answered a question for him, or even just took him away with a swift motion of his hand. Nobody questioned the king.

Ever since that day under the canopy, Phineas had tried to reach out to Ferb and get him to talk about his life in the castle, about his childhood and family, but he only let a few things into Phineas's questions that were asked carefully and cautiously. But the answers Ferb gave were not very revealing. The only thing that Phineas had actually managed to figure out for sure was that Ferb's life here in the castle had not been an easy one. Life was hard down where Phineas lived, for money and for work, but up here, there were so many expectations laid upon a noble child that it hurt Phineas to see the childhood of the few kids he saw being ripped away.

At the parties, Ferb always looked so happy, or bored, though Phineas often saw him outside on a balcony, drinking wine out of a glinting cup whilst Phineas was left with noble women who pushed him for thoughts on the king. There was one night, at a nearby home of a lord that set up a party for his 50 year owning of the land, that things really began to stir inside the red-head, this time, Ferb had sent Phineas a red and gold dress, which was a little shocking considering Ferb insisted of all people in his household to wear a shade of blue, silver or purple.

Phineas was once more surrounded by girls, not one of them had he seen before, or may have, but had been too caught up in fear of being caught that he had not recognised their faces. They were talking about men and riches and who they were going to marry, some giggled and joked a little on the thought of marrying the king and all Phineas did was roll his eyes at them, until one of them mentioned something that he had nearly forgotten.

"He's still supposedly engaged to that girl from the northern kingdom though," a blonde girl said and flipped a fan out, wafting it in front of her face.

"Ah yes," another remarked and flipped her hair out of the way of her face, sticking her nose high like a little spoilt child "Princess Rosa Martia lablab, or whatever her silly name is."

"I heard she's a ill girl, kept locked up by her father, I'm surprised he would even let her be married!"

"He needs the alliance so he had get his economy going again, or whatever the men call it nowadays, to get trade working."

"Think they'd bring back new fabrics and clothing from over in the north?"

"Not unless they're made of goat skin."

The girls burst out laughing and their stupid talk continued, leaving Phineas staring off into space, staring at one corner of the grand hall in shock. Why did it shock him so much? He already knew that Ferb was meant to be married, the librarian told him so not long after he'd arrived, to the Princess of King Phillip in the north who had always threatened war against the Danville Kingdom. To get both Ferb and Rosa married would mean that they would join the two kingdoms together and work as one for good growth, it would mean good for Danville, because of bad harvests and would do well for the north to get the money coming in again.

But each time he thought of Ferb at the end of an aisle, with an unknown girl walking up to him made Phineas cringe. Who would marry Ferb...Really? A girl he had never met before, never even spoke too...never even _loved._ Did Ferb even love? Phineas knew he had not felt a certain kind of love before, only love for his kingdom and jewels and gold that never truly satisfied anyone unless you had someone to share it with. All these girls here wanting him for the riches, the power, maybe even his bed, but what about love? What about someone to hold and to cherish and to comfort? Surely, even for the cruel, heartless king he was, he could still need love?

Phineas didn't realise he was slightly blushing until one of the girls asked "Are you okay Phina, you look a little red, maybe you're ill?"

The red-head shook his head and rubbed his face curtly "No, no," he cleared his throat "I'm fine..."

"Ohhh, I know!" One of the girls giggled and leant towards him, her smile long and playful "You have your eye on the king too don't you?" All the girls around him stared, some a little jealousy, others with a smile of their own on their faces.

"W-what?!" Phineas chocked and his face burned once more, of course he didn't! He was getting married, he was a boy, it wasn't aloud, no, no he didn't... Did he?

The blonde girl giggled "You have been staying with him since your father died and you were childhood friends...Aww, it's like a Romanic love story!" With a overly dramatic girly walk, she went up to another of the girls "A couple, close friends as children, then separated forever, never to see each other again, but then...a horrible tragedy!" She placed a hand over her head dramatically and smiled over to the giggling girls "Alas! Her father dies and she is left homeless and alone! But then, she is taken to a castle, a castle she almost forgets but there he is!" She outstretched her hand to another girl "Her long lost lover, who is torn away from his one true love for his duty!" She swooned and fell back a little, caught by the other girl and they all burst out into a fit of girly laughter.

Phineas just flushed pink and turned his head away from them, his hands trembling. He didn't...he...he couldn't like the king...

"Hello ladies!" The familiar, British ascent sounded in Phineas's ears and he turned, forcing his blush to fade as he saw the king, the girls separated before him, giggling and wafting their fans to hide their smiles. Phineas frowned slightly, oh what excellent timing indeed!

"Hello my Rose," Ferb grinned, his voice sounded innocent, kind, the truth of his actions hidden behind his faked nature, put on for the women around him "Would you care to dance?" He bowed slightly, reaching out his hand to his and Phineas stared at it in shock.

He had never danced at these parties, only chatted, drank and ate; besides, he didn't even know how to dance! He stared up to the girls around him, who nodded and did gestures to accept the king's offer. Of course he had too; not doing so would result in a punishment later.

"O-Of course..." Phineas answered and took the King's hand that raised his head and beamed.

"Then let us dance!" He said and dragged Phineas away into the main part of the hall, Phineas loved how damn empty it looked, with only a few couples dancing to the jumpy, yet calm music.

"I don't know how to dance..." Phineas whispered to Ferb as he span his around onto the dance floor.

Ferb didn't look surprised, he merely smiled and placed his hand on Phineas's hip and put the red-head's on his arm "That will make this more fun!" and the music started again.

Phineas felt himself being dragged and span around, he felt so clumsy, he felt himself step onto the king's feet and he squeaked a little in fear of falling over or embarrassing Ferb in front of so many people, that would end up with himself being scolded and punished. But eventually, he began to get the hang of it, he was a fast learner and the music seemed to grab hold of him, soon, people began to watch and crowd around the area as Ferb span the red-head around.

Ferb moved so swiftly and majestically that Phineas felt himself caught up in a trance; he was brought close to the king's face, who brushed his perfect lips against Phineas's forehead that sent his mind in a whirl. Then Ferb broke away and span Phineas around, Phineas allowed his arms to become outstretched and let Ferb lift him up in the air. Oh how stupid and silly Phineas felt, yet, he felt so free doing this, he felt that Ferb was allowing him to do something that was completely wrong by Phineas's own standards, never had he danced before and here he was, moving like a pro.

Finally, as they span around a little more, close together, Phineas said "You gave me a red dress..." Ferb smiled slightly, almost painfully.

"Yes," He said and turned Phineas around she, his back was facing Ferb's chest, they rocked a moment before breaking apart again and Ferb said "Red suits you a lot more than blue..."

Phineas flew away from the green-head and whirled around, his red and golden dress glowing in the candlelight until Ferb came up beside him and caught the red-head as he began to fall backwards in a state of dizziness, holding him close.

"What does it feel like to be so loved by all around you?" Ferb said, his smile dropped a little.

"It feels..." Phineas thought for a moment, he felt the king wanted him to be honest, so before he could consider it, he replied with "Terrible..."

Ferb nodded and pressed his face into Phineas's long flowing hair "Indeed it does."

Was he trying to prove a point here? Trying to tell Phineas something about his life? Ferb was supposedly loved by all, heard by all, nobody talked to him in a normal conversation, or asked how he felt. They loved him for all the right reasons, the right reasons of which seemed to be hidden with lies.

Ferb turned Phineas around after a twirl and held him close so the red-head could see the strange sadness in his eyes "You are so beautiful..." He smiled when he saw Phineas blush deeply, Ferb flew backwards, so Phineas hung from his arms, hands linked into one and Ferb gave his once more, sly smile and full of mischief...That was the Ferb Phineas knew.

"Let's go home," he smiled playfully and Phineas saw the king's intentions...but he couldn't refuse. The music had stopped and everyone in the hall was clapping and cheering. Ferb helped Phineas stand upright once more and kissed his hand.

"Come then, let us leave, I tire of the crowds," He was back again alright, the secret, hidden king Ferb had gone; silly, stupid king was back.

Ferb took Phineas's hand and linking it through his arm and they walked out that way, Phineas saw the giggles and waves of the girls from before and he smiled, girly, at them, just for their amusement.

They boarded the carriage without another word and Phineas fell back into the seat, tired and exhausted. But the king wasn't done yet, he reached out a hand and moved his hand up Phineas's dress and Phineas gasped and leapt back a little into the seat.

Ferb smiled at the red-head's reaction and came forward, close towards him, his hand still moving up under the dress as he edged forward, his other hand rested upon Phineas's arm. The red-head was bright red, yet whatever Ferb was doing to him, it felt...good and he moaned a little as Ferb's hand came into contact with the thing between his legs.

"You're different from the others..." Ferb whispered, he was so, so close to Phineas's face now, their lips only inches apart.

"How?" Phineas breathed and Ferb's hand tightened underneath the dress, making Phineas moan even louder.

"You care..." Ferb said simply, though his words were kind, gentle and less violent and he leant forward and embraced Phineas in a kiss. Not a forced one, not like before, infarct, Ferb released his grip on Phineas's member and instead brought it up, so both hand were upon his cheeks, so Phineas could feel the full extent of the kiss.

It felt warm; those lips so perfect pressed against his own, it make the butterflies in Phineas's stomach flutter. Did Ferb care about him? Did he really? Phineas felt his arms wrap around Ferb's body as he pulled the king closer, somehow longing for more. Ferb didn't need telling, he pushed his way forward and Phineas could feel the strangeness radiating off of the green-haired king, a feeling that seemed so utterly confusing.

The carriage drove off, the driver, the people in the hall, everyone they drove past, completely unaware of the actions inside of the carriage.

_This is ridiculous..._ Phineas thought and moaned as Ferb grabbed his hips _Ferb is getting married...this is illegal...I...Don't...like this..._ he sunk beneath the king's purple cape _Do I?_


	7. Chapter 7

_"The desire of the man is for the woman, but the desire of the woman is for the desire of the man."  
Madame de Stael Quotes_

When they arrived back at the castle, Phineas almost fell out of the carriage, his legs felt so shaky from the ordeal inside the thing. Ferb was very good at making him feel weak and vulnerable, but then again, he was just so good with those perfect lips and hands. Phineas shivered, he shouldn't be thinking that.

He shakily walked forward and tripped a little, but a pair of hands grabbed him from behind and steadied him, of course it was Ferb, he recognised those hands from anywhere.

"You should be more careful," the king cooed in Phineas's ear and the red-head shivered with anticipation. But then he shook him off gently, standing up as straight as he possibly could, not daring to look back into those perfect eyes again.

"Is everything in order your majesty?" A butler had appeared before them, his nose upturned in a way that made Phineas frown in frustration.

"Ah, yes," Ferb replied and hooked Phineas's arm around his, Phineas stared up to him in surprise "Miss Rose and I were planning on taking an evening stroll through the garden's before retiring."

Phineas stared intently at the king's proud face, what was he up to? Did he plan on using him again and going a step further than what had happened in the carriage? He narrowed his eyes in question.

"Of course sir," the butler said "I'll have the servants set up your beds and baths for when you are ready," the butler bowed and backed away, Ferb watched him leave and Phineas watched the carriage depart to the stables, until they found themselves alone, arm in arm, on the cobble stone path.

"Shall we?" Ferb smiled and led the way forward through the hedges and bushes.

They said nothing as they wandered throughout the gardens, skirting through the endless rows of petals and beautiful aromas, the sweet scent of grass reminded Phineas's of his childhood and the endless amount of times he'd roll down banks and ran across the fields as a boy. Eventually, he almost began to forget that Ferb was holding his arm and instead he stared once more in awe at the flowers, just like when he had first arrived.

Beside him, Ferb chucked and the red-head looked up to him "What?" He said, his voice still captivated by the snapdragons behind the king's head.

"You stare at them as if they are a whole new thing to mankind," Ferb chuckled and pulled Phineas around another hedge, where sunflowers grew perfectly and tall beside them.

"Why should I not look at them? Where I come from it is rare even to see a daisy on a field without a writher of a petal," Phineas said admittedly, remembering the withered old plant pots his mother was so proud of.

"I find that a little funny," Ferb smiled and turned Phineas around to stare at the roses he had led them to, Phineas hadn't even noticed "I have grown up with these flowers, they are nothing new to me, they're always so perfect and as beautiful as you may have it, but it was never enough for me." He leant in close to Phineas's ear whispering his words into him like a ghost "These perfect things are all I have ever known, but never enough, so as soon as I became king I asked my servants to find the perfect flower for me, they always brought back the same thing time and time again, never anything new and never anything as perfect as the flowers you see here." He kissed the side of Phineas's neck sweetly and Phineas rolled his head to one side, relishing the feeling of the king's lips against his skin "Then I realised that it was not perfection I should be looking for..." He stoked Phineas's arm, making goose bumps appear "I was searching for you..."

If Phineas had a heart of feelings for the king, it would have surely burst, but he was not like those girls back at the ball, giggling and swooning and wanting riches beyond their wildest dreams. Yet you could say, not a love, but certain sadness broke out of him that was the only thing that managed to pull him away from the king's body.

"You and I," Phineas said, his voice down to nearly cracking "We can never be."

The king frowned and took a step towards the red-head "Why not? I have given you everything, a home, a room, food, drink, shelter, even my own bed, why do you deny me?"

Phineas stared down to the floor, along with it, his heart, that didn't feel like breaking, it felt like it was telling him the truth "I don't want anything you have to give," he replied with uttermost sadness.

"Then what is it?" Ferb hissed and stood closer, so he was staring down at the young man "I can give you anything, anything beyond your wildest dreams and more!"

"You don't understand!" Phineas growled and pushed the king away, the impatience burning within him "I want nothing from you, not your wealth, your riches, your home or your chambers!" He was shouting now, with Ferb staring at him in growing anger "All I want is to go home and pretend none of this happened!"

Ferb looked like he was about to explode, he took one huge step in front of Phineas, his eyes blazing with a million fires "You are never allowed to leave, never! We had a deal! A contract! I refuse to set you free! I have sacrificed too much to have you leave now!"

Sacrificed? How much has Ferb sacrificed? Phineas had had to give up more than the king had ever had too, Phineas had to be put through all this torment and pain, not him, how dare he say he'd sacrificed more than he had!

"Why do you keep me here then? Why do all these...these...forbidden things and allow me to stay?" Phineas cried back, he surely had a death wish going against the king like this "What the hell have you let go, what in the world have you sacrificed to allow me to stay here? Why have you 'risked' so much as to keep me here?!"

Ferb turned silent and relaxed where he stood, closing his eyes and facing his head down to the floor, Phineas watched, wondering if he'd hit a soft spot, worrying for a second if Ferb would suddenly lash out at him, but the king just simply lifted his head and showed the serious look on his face.

"I kept you here because..." His sentence broke off, Phineas didn't understand, the king was always so confident, so sure of things, but now he seemed slightly broken, wounded almost "That is to say...I sacrificed my honour to have you here..." Phineas almost snorted, what honour? "I've done things that would certainly have me thrown off from my throne..." He stared up to Phineas, his eyes deadly serious and suddenly Phineas found himself staring into them, Ferb opened his mouth to speak once more but another voice cried out into the night.

"SIRE!" It cried and both king and clockmaker turned to see a messenger, sweating from the brow with a panicked look on his face come towards them "SIRE! YOU'RE MAJESTY!"

The man halted before the pair, crouching over to catch his breath, struggling to let out the words.

"Well?!" Ferb barked "What is it?"

"Y-You...Fiancé..." the man panted and Phineas's senses kicked up "Princess...Rosa...Maria...Erm..."

"Spit it out!"

"She's...She's DEAD!"

Phineas felt his blood turn cold, dead? How could she possibly be dead? As far as he'd heard she'd been in the prime in her life, young and sweet, strong. How could she have died?

The king said nothing, he just stared down at the panting man, Phineas tried to read his expression, but he couldn't quite put his finger on the feeling that the king was radiating. They waited like that for what seemed like an age, until Ferb opened his mouth to speak once more, but Phineas allowed himself to interrupt.

"I'm going to more chambers..." He said and turned and walked away, he felt Ferb's gaze on him, everything that had just been said, that had just happened, running like a river through his head, hammering at his skull.

But all that didn't stop him from turning around one last time, only slightly, barely, but enough to see the smile on Ferb's face before he whipped his head around again. Then Phineas felt his heart melt and turn to ice, Ferb had said he'd made sacrifices...

He had suddenly reached his room, but the words of Sarah seemed barely auditable.

Was this sacrifice one of them? Had Ferb set out to kill the Princess?

Nothing around him seemed to make sense anymore, he almost forgot Sarah was undressing him, but he seemed to automatically begin to do the rest, he took his bath, not taking in any of the warmth of the water, for inside of himself he felt only cold. He worked like he had done after that first night after being in the king's chambers and lay in his bed, ignoring the words of farewell from the kind servant girl.

Phineas barely slept at all. But when he did, he was plagued with screams of the men that had been dragged away to their deaths, a girl in a coffin and Ferb looming over him like death itself.

The next morning Phineas awoke feeling terrible, his head throbbed and his muscles ached, not only that, the events of the previous nights tortured his mind, throwing its cannons at him. Once again he worked automatically, Sarah came in and helped him dress and he sat at the table in his room picking at the breakfast he had been given.

Sarah had gradually begun to notice her mistress's silence and mechanic movements and finally spoke, her concern plainly heard within her voice "Miss Rose? Are you okay?"

Phineas didn't acknowledge her at first, but then looked up, his eyes heavy from lack of sleep "Hmm?"

"I asked if you were alright Miss," she repeated.

"Oh, yes, yes, I'm fine," Phineas sighed and leant back a little in his seat "I'm just not hungry at the moment."

"Please Miss, I can tell it's more than that..." Sarah said, her voice was unsure, as if she was still afraid of Phineas and how he acted towards her, he was always kind to her, talking to her like an equal but it still didn't stop her from being nervous.

Phineas stared at her, the pain clearly seen on his face as all the lies he'd told the young girl clasped his heart "Please don't hate me Sarah..." he said sadly, feeling the tears sting the corners of his eyes "Please, just be my friend no matter what..."

Sarah looked shocked, she could see clear as day the distress and sadness from her mistress's face and even saw the tears beginning to make their way into Phineas's eyes and it pained her and confused her on why the red-head was acting so.

"Miss...I..."

"Please..." Phineas was in a state now, the tears flowed freely, he didn't know what to do, who to turn to, had Ferb really killed the girl? Was he to be locked within this castle forever? Was he never to see his mother or his home ever again? His heart felt fit to breaking.

Sarah knelt down and took the red-heads hand kindly "Yes, of course..."

Phineas took a deep, deep breath, he wanted to tell the servant girl the truth, everything he wanted to say, he had no idea how she would react, but he demanded it so and he stared straight into the girl's eyes, his gaze determined, serious and strong. He stood up, releasing the grip of Sarah's hands, the tears still falling from his face. Then he rolled down the top part of his dress as Sarah watched, both in interest and fear. Finally, the bandages, or what was meant to be portrayed as bandages, Phineas started to pull it apart, unwrapping it from around his body as easily as he had put it on.

The bandages rolled away and for a moment, Phineas was no longer Phina Rose, he was just plain old Phineas Flynn, the clockmaker and repairman who ran a shop with his mother.

Sarah made no movement, for a moment she looked stunned, as if she was about to faint. Phineas felt the tears fall unintentionally down his face; she wasn't going to accept him was she? Sadly, he turned, pulling the bandages back onto his body, pulling the dress back up and walked over to the bed, facing away from the girl who still sat on the floor in silence. Phineas sat on the bed, head in hands, wonder what the hell he had done.

Sarah had only just managed to pull herself to her feet when there was a knock at the door, Sarah went to open it but the door swung open anyway with a butler standing in the doorway and said, without introduction or any questions "The king would like you in the throne room Miss Rose, please do not keep him waiting." He turned to leave, then caught eye on the servant girl "He would like you to come alone." Then he disappeared out the door.

Phineas wasted no time in leaving, he wanted to get out as soon as possible, away from the shocked Sarah and the lies he had been feeding her all this time. Sarah said nothing as he left and he felt himself move freely towards the main throne room and then enter it, seeing the great king upon his great chair.

His face looked more concerned when he saw Phineas's red eyes, maybe he understood that he had been crying, but he surely made no move to tell it so.

Other than the king, there was no one else within the hall, not even a guard, other than them posted just outside the doors. Phineas suddenly felt nervous, why had Ferb called him here? Was he once again to abuse him? Rip even more of his innocence and kindness away? The red-head looked down to the floor and gave a slight bow, to avoid the king's eyes.

Phineas said nothing, not even a question on why he was brought here, the horror of what he had just shown Sarah haunted him and all he saw when he opened or closed his eyes, was his only friend and her look of pure shock.

The king rose from the throne and strode down the little flight of steps leaded up to it until he stood in front of the red-head he held so dearly and so desperately in his home. He forced Phineas's head up, using a hard finger under his chin and stared at Phineas's distraught face, the puffy red around his eyes and the dampness of his face.

With a frown Ferb said "You've been crying." It was a simple statement, not a question, so Phineas said nothing in return; instead he turned his head once more to look away from the beauty that was Ferb's eyes.

"Do you fear me, Phineas?" He asked.

Phineas rose his head up at this, the king had never called him by his real name before, it had only been Rose, my little rose and nothing else. So he stared up to the king in surprise at the title and the king smiled slightly, but not a confident smile, it was a forced once, painful almost.

As an answer to the question however, Phineas pulled a face that showed that he really did fear the green-headed young man, Ferb saw it and pulled back, his face screwed up in sadness.

"I knew it would be true," He said and turned around, back to face the throne and the constant burden of the crown, something Phineas would never truly understand.

"Are you going to set me free?" Phineas heard himself say, it was a weak attempt and a weak question, his voice shaking slightly, weak.

Ferb turned his head slightly and narrowed his eyes "No," he said.

Of course, Phineas thought and stared back down to the floor.

Then suddenly, Ferb was standing before the red-head once more and again, they were staring into each other's eyes. The king and the clockmaker, face to face. Until Phineas decided to give the king one last thing before he decided to hate him forever, he quickly leant forward and pressed his lips against Ferb's, he had no idea why, maybe it was out of pity, or maybe because he felt he owed the king at least one thing, for being just that slight bit honest with him.

But he couldn't have done it at the worse enough time, for at the very moment he pushed his lips onto the king's, none other than Ferb's top advisor, Isabella, walked straight into the throne room and saw with her very eyes the forbidden act unfurl.

"You slimy, son of a-!" She dashed forward, as quick as the snakes would be on her dress and stood between them, slapping Phineas full on in the face, her nails clawed against his skin that left him crying out in pain and clasping the bloody wound on his face.

"ISABELLA!" Ferb screamed and grabbed hold of the young woman's hand before she could go in for another attack, the girl whipped her head round to him, the hate bleeding out of her face.

"But that, that stupid servant sire!" She cried and ripped her arm away from him "He went for you! He _kissed_ you!"

"I am well aware of that."

"You are to do nothing to punish him!?"

"Why should I?"

Isabella looked shocked for a moment and looked from the king, to Phineas, who stood with a hand over his cheek and the fear in his eyes.

"You...You meant for this to happen?" Isabella asked and glared at the king, her hate replaced with a fear of its own kind "You allowed him to kiss you?"

"I've allowed much more of him since his arrival," Ferb admitted and Phineas looked up to them, did he not tell Isabella? His most trusted servant?

When Phineas cast a look upon the girl, he saw the pure rage upon her face at this, her face was red, her eyes spat with venom and her fists were clenched in a tight fists that looked so tight it would be painful.

"You...You shared your bed with him?" She said her voice hoarse, dark and forbidding.

"Yes," Ferb said and stared straight at Phineas "And I do not regret it."

"H-How..." Isabella stuttered and shoved the king away from her, with so much disgust and hatred that Ferb snarled back in anger "HOW COULD YOU!? YOU WERE GETTING MARRIED! YOU'VE BROKEN THE LAWS! WHY FERB? W-why..." Her voice died down and she stood before the king, lifting a hand and resting it gently upon his cheek "Why Ferb?" A shaky tear swept down her cheek "Why?"

"Because..." Ferb didn't look at the girl, he looked at Phineas, who stared in such emotion at the pair that it hurt, it hurt so much and it attacked his sanity even more when Ferb said those three dreaded words that made Phineas feel his insides turn to jelly.

"I love him."

The universe would have surely broken apart at that moment, but yet, everything continued to move, the red and blue collided though, Phineas felt his heart melt and Ferb handed out his pounding one to him, the blue and purple dripping down and ruining the red. Phineas could not feel anything in return apart from fear. Fear and hate.

It was all too much to bare for that one shade of green in the background, she lashed out and screamed like a banshee, yelling out every curse under the sun but all Ferb could hear was Phineas's breathing and the sound of the clockmakers heart winding on like the clocks he made.

"Isabella," Ferb finally said and looked down to the girl, who was on the verge of tears "You're fired."

And she fell to the floor, legs suddenly shaky and unable to support her weight "W-what?"

"You heard me," he said and walked over Phineas, who allowed the king to move his hand away from his cheek and let him examine the wound. "You're fired."

"Y-You can't fire me!" She begged and tossed her body around "You and I have been...friends for so long, I've done everything you've asked, even as children, Ferb, please, I've done everything to make you happy, I've done every single thing to keep you safe!"

"And I thank you for it," Ferb said and slightly turned his head to her "But, please, for both our sakes, leave."

Isabella rose to her feet, but as if she was a zombie, broken and defeated, dead and bleeding her soul out to the world. Then, without another word, she turned and she ran, screaming out words that snapped Phineas heart, but didn't seem to move the king a slight bit, for he could never feel the same way.

"I LOVED YOU!" She screeched "YOU WILL PAY FERB! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

The door slammed shut, leaving those last words echoing throughout the throne room.

"I. Loved. You..."


	8. Chapter 8

"_I want to have fun. I want to shine like the sun. I want to be the one that you want to see. I want to knit you a sweater. I want to write you a love letter. I want to make you feel better. I want to make you feel free."  
Joni Mitchell Quotes_

The days rolled by slowly for Phineas, as if nothing of beauty in the castle was close to his dead heart anymore. Isabella was gone and Ferb has confessed his love to him, a love that Phineas could not take and was utterly forbidden. The princess Ferb has supposedly meant to marry was also dead, no word was sent on how, but it made Phineas nervous, had Ferb really gone to that extra length just to keep him? If it were true, Phineas would not be surprised.

Then there was Sarah, his servant and who was once his only friend. She acted stiffly, she still turned up to work and helped him dress but not a work was exchanged between them. With no one to blurt his thoughts out to, Phineas felt himself dying from the inside out and many a night he had found himself curled up in that rich bed crying his eyes out.

Not a day went by without him thinking of his mother. He missed her and that ragged old home of his so much and it constantly broke his heart when he remembered that he may never see her again. He had not seen her since the day he left to the castle after the summoning and he used to send letters to her, but now Ferb had forbidden it, otherwise he may risk thinking of getting caught.

Day after day Phineas was plagued by memories and screaming inside of his head, when he sat with Ferb for tea and dinner, he barely spoke, he could not look the king in the eyes anymore and he no longer felt that lustful desire in him to be near the green-haired man. With every ounce of what he had left of humanity inside him, Phineas hated the king, maybe once he believed Ferb could change, maybe he thought he was seeing actual compassion and kindness within that dark soul of his, but now Phineas knew that was no longer possible. Ferb was a killer, just like his father before him.

Ferb had noticed, but he was oblivious to Phineas's feelings, not understanding why the red-head ignored him so. Often he opened his mouth to ask, but closed it again. When Ferb had grown up, he had been told to dispose of such feelings, mercy, compassion and kindness. Most of this changed when he first saw Phineas outside of his home on that faithful hunting day, Phineas didn't remember it, but Ferb could see picture it as clear as day. Ferb couldn't help but feel that painful lurch in his chest when he had seen Phineas, he had been immediately captivated by him and even if he was a boy, Ferb knew he had to see him again.

So he'd summoned him, mostly because he only desired him, just as he'd whispered into Phineas's ear that night he'd lured the young man into his room. He found desire a funny thing, Ferb did, it was more of a lustful feeling within him, nothing more but a wanting for something such as food, wine or a sip of water from the richest well in the world. Things like that didn't buy full time happiness, it slipped you by a few moments after enduring it, but of Phineas, Ferb could never have enough and he felt a strange feeling every time the red head was caught within his sight. It was then he realised he had done the one thing that he father and his teacher never told him to do...Fall in love.

Love was a fakery in his father's eyes; his father had married a princess of the southern kingdom, so he could unite the two countries in peace. Ferb was told he had to do this with the princess of the north, in order to unite the kingdoms as one. But neither had seen each other before, never. So love was last thing on either's mind, it was nothing but duty, a duty to serve their kingdom and build allies through marriage. Love had nothing to do with it.

Both Phineas and Ferb were silent with each other for days on end, until two more weeks had gone by and Phineas just wanted to stay in his room all day and night. Ferb didn't allow it and forced the red-head to come out with him, together they walked the gardens, but the seasons were moving on and one by one the flowers of beautiful colour withered and faded, bringing along with them the cold chill of the autumn.

One day, Phineas could no longer bare it and in the dark of the night, he snuck out, wearing a dress on top of his old clockmaker uniform which he had kept safely hidden. He would no longer put up with Ferb's anger and demands, Phineas knew what he was going to do, he was going to run away back home, tell him mother that they could no longer stay here and they'd run away, across the boundaries to another kingdom, where Ferb could no longer touch him.

From living in the castle for such a long time, Phineas already knew the guard's rotas and positions around the grounds. He just had to pick out the right time, the gates opened every night at around three in the morning, to allow guards to switch places from the outside in. So Phineas snuck closely to the gates and waited, they would open any time soon. But as he waited, it seemed they would never open at all. Curious to see what was going on, he edged slightly closer to the bars and planted himself against a wall beside them and glared out to the freedom on the other side. Strangely enough, he saw no guards and inside him arose panic. Ferb was clever.

As he turned to run, he felt himself bump straight into a pair of guards and he fell to the ground like a fool, staring up at him, the fear piercing through his eyes. The two guards snarled and hauled him up to his feet and with a little protest, dragged him back inside the castle and into the darkness of the throne room, where only a few candles were lit in the dark of the night.

Up on the throne, a figure groaned, slightly angry and upset and when his head rose to the dim glow of the candle light, those blue eyes sparkled and glinted, disappointment glowing in them.

"Oh Rose..." He sighed "Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose, _Rose.._"

The guards holding onto him, forced him down onto his knees and the red-head stared up with such hate and fear at the king upon his throne, the tears threatening to burn through his sockets.

"These feeble attempts of running away are hopeless," Ferb continued "I have told you many a time that you _can't_ leave...Why do you keep trying to do so? Have I not admitted all that I feel to you?"

Phineas noted the two guards either side of him, the king using words that the two could not relate to. Ferb was trying to avoid saying the direct truth, in order not to start confrontations with his people, but Phineas no longer cared, he wanted to show the king for what he was, he no longer cared if he was abused or killed for it, at least in death there was freedom.

"I can never love you back!" He screeched and gave a look so dark to the king that it could curdle milk "All you've done I can never forgive! Everything you've said is a lie! You say you love me but all I can ever feel for you if a hate that no one on earth can replace! Give me your riches! Give me your home, your food and you _bed!_ I will see them nothing more as a gift from the pits of hell of which you were born from!" With that, Phineas spat down at the king's feet.

The guards beside him shuffled where they stood, finally understanding what had been happening between the two and Ferb glared at each one of them in shock and then down at Phineas with a fear and anger that could bring any burning volcano to its knees. The guard's stared at each other silently and then up to the king, who rose to his feet stiffly and walked down the steps to the red-head.

Phineas did not turn away from the king's burning gaze, instead, he spat his own venom out of his own, hoping to break the green-haired man, but Ferb would not yield, instead, he grabbed Phineas's neck and squeezed, leaving Phineas gasping desperately for air.

"You mock me!" Ferb cried as he lifted Phineas up to his feet by the neck "You mock me in front of my subjects after all I have done for you! Why could you just not love me back! All my life I've been shielded by a shadow of the kingdom and of my father! All my life I've wanted nothing more but to make him proud, but then I saw you!" Phineas glared down at the king, his own hands trying to pull those of the king's off his neck as he gasped for the air that wouldn't come, Ferb continued "I saw you and it went against everything I had ever been taught, ever been told and I thought that perhaps you may feel the same way! I was wrong! Why do you not accept my one act of mercy?! The one thing I wanted to actually want to give to someone and you spit it back at my face!"

Phineas gaped and gasped, trying to push himself away from the king's deadly grasp "Y...You...You bastard!"

Ferb screamed and slammed Phineas to the ground, pinning himself on top of him as Phineas felt the world around him fuzz in and out of focus, his head feeling sore as the blood dripped from it.

"Everything I gave you Phineas!" He screeched like a banshee; right into Phineas's ears, which had a loud ringing echoing through them "I gave you everything, even my love! A love that I never thought I could have! You've abused it! Torn it up and thrown it away!"

"You...c-can't _force_ someone to love you!" Phineas panted and pressed his hands against Ferb's chest, trying desperately to push the weight of the king off of him "Y-you're...a...cruel king! I-I've seen p-people starve and d...die...I've seen my c-childhood friend's fall because...you haven't bothered to look over your kingdom! All you see is imperfection, imperfection among your land! All...m-my life I've lived out there! All my life I've been in that imperfection, I am not a rose Ferb! I was never perfect; I have never not had thorns in my side! You...c-care about nothing...but y-your own gain!"

Ferb growled and forced Phineas further down to the ground before forcing him up to his feet and then grabbed him by his red hair, letting Phineas scream and cry out as he dragged him over to the door on the other side of the throne room. Phineas saw it and kicked and screamed, but Ferb just kept his gaze straight ahead, ignoring the young man's pleas and begs. He had once offered him mercy; he would not ever give it again.

Phineas felt himself being dragged down stone steps, his legs got caught on the stone as he was dragged down there, bruises coated his body and by the time they'd reached the cells, he felt himself beaten to a pulp.

Ferb opened a cell door, the stench of death, urine and blood burning its way into the air around them, and then he tossed Phineas in the cell, onto the cold stone floor, with only a little pile of hay to keep as a bed.

Phineas fell down hard onto the floor, gasping and panting; his body aching painfully; Ferb walked into the cell behind him and stared down at the red-head in disgust. But even now, looking down onto Phineas, Ferb could still feel that lustful desire creeping up him and he leant forward, grabbing Phineas by the back of the neck and pushing him up against one of the cell walls.

Phineas could see what was coming next and writhed about screaming in pure horror. But it didn't stop Ferb, he tugged Phineas's dress up and snarled louder when he found the clockmaker uniform beneath it, but managed to tug them down too, forcing Phineas up against the wall as the screams echoed out into the night.

"You can never leave!" Ferb barked and pressed against Phineas, the tears rolling down the young man's face "You're MINE! Do you hear that Phineas?! MINE! NOBODY ELSES!"

Phineas could only writhe and scream until Ferb had done and left the cell, locking it behind him and the staring down at Phineas, who was curled up on the floor, crying and shivering. Phineas stared up to the greened-haired king as he stared down at him, broken and dead inside.

Then he saw the tears.

They rolled down Ferb's cheeks like waterfalls and Ferb touched one as it fell with his finger and stared at it as it glinted on the fingertip. He looked so confused for a moment, so shaken and he shivered where he stood. Then he buried his head in one hand, sobbed and turned away, whispering things under his breath as he ascended the stairs once more.

All Phineas could hear were the sad words that were stabbed with an unforgiveable guilt.

"I'm sorry...I'm _so_ sorry..."

Then the door leading up the steps shut and plunged the cell into complete darkness.

Phineas stayed like that, locked into the world of never-ending blackness. There were no windows down in the cells; he could see nothing that is for the first, for what seemed like a week. Gradually, his eyes got used to the darkness and he could pick out the hopeless amount of objects within the dungeon.

Nobody came for him, not once, the doors above the steps never opened and down here, nothing could be heard from above. Phineas felt himself getting weaker and weaker, his stomach cried out for food and water, but there was nothing to give it. Day after day, Phineas walked aimlessly around his tight, small cell, banging on walls and sometimes even screaming for the help that would never come.

He had no idea how long he had been down there for, the darkness didn't show any light and gradually, Phineas felt his mind become twisted and frail. Sometimes he sparked up conversations with himself without even meaning to and he knew he was going crazy. He ended up clawing the floor at some point, longing for freedom, thinking that if he kept doing so, he would dig his way out to freedom. But instead, he got nothing but bloody fingers.

One day, or one night however, in the corner of his cell, Phineas could hear the slight creaking of what sounded like a door opening. He thought he might be dreaming, there had been endless times when he had fallen asleep and had found himself outside, but woke up to find himself back in the cell with the smell and the hay. So he hung his head down, staring at the stone floor, waiting to wake up.

The soft glow of candle light descended the stairs and even when the light blinded him for a moment, Phineas refused to believe that he was awake; it was all a dream, nothing more.

"Phineas?" The voice sounded familiar, but it was a dream, he didn't need to answer.

The light pulled forward a bit and along with it, there was a new smell, a smell Phineas had not scented in what seemed like months and he twitched slightly. It was a dream.

"Phineas?" The voice called again and finally, the red-head looked up, blinded by the light, but finally seeing who it was the held it. Sarah. He blinked, not knowing now if it really was a dream and to find out, he turned and began to claw the wall, searching for the pain that would confirm that he was awake. His fingers started bleeding again and along with it, the stringing pain that brought about wakefulness. He wasn't dreaming.

"Oh Phineas...What has he done to you?" The light was put down onto the floor and the girl knelt down before the bars of the cell, staring at the creature within.

Phineas turned from the wall and stared at the girl with blood shot eyes, edging forward, almost like an animal of the wilds, unsure of a human presence. Is this what he had been turned into? Nothing but a wild animal?

He reached the bars of the cell and stared at Sarah, her eyes were puffy and red, as if she'd been crying and when Phineas stared down at her arms, he saw they were bruised, blue and black. Gasping, he reached forward and grabbed her arm, dragging it into the cell and inspecting the marks as if they were a whole new thing to him.

He ran a hand over the lumpy flesh and it occurred to him that he was actually touching another human being, something he hadn't done in a long time and he stared up to Sarah, who started to cry, forced to look upon the one she had once called mistress and had talked to as a friend.

"S-Sarah..." Phineas said in a hoarse voice and reached forward and touched her cheek, gasping at the touch of warm flesh.

"That's right..." She smiled and let out a huge sob, grabbing hold of Phineas's arms and embracing him into an awkward hug between the bars "It's me..."

Phineas sobbed himself as he held onto the girl, not ever wanting to let go of the one human soul that seemed to care.

"What...have they...done to you?" Gasped Phineas and once again stared down at her arms.

Sarah withdrew, but held onto Phineas's hand "Ferb has become..." She paused and stared deeply into Phineas's eyes.

"A monster?" Phineas suggested and frowned.

Sarah, to Phineas's surprise, shook her head "No, he refuses to do anything at all, he'd become like a ghost, Phineas, he's refusing to do anything at all, he's locked himself in his room and whenever someone tries to approach him, he goes mad. Nobody knows what to do anymore and a threat has been sent from King Phillip of the north!"

Phineas stared at the girl and then down to the floor, was this all because of what he had done? "Is that why you have bruises?" Phineas asked and tightened his grip on her hand.

"No," Sarah replied "There's no one to keep order with the guards now, most have left the grounds entirely now and become bandits or even gone to work for King Phillip...The rest that are here have nowhere else to go, a bunch of the bandit guards tried to..." She rubbed one arm nervously "But one of the guards's left behind saved me... Everyone knows about the king and you now, they know that you aren't a woman."

"And?"

"Most are willing to forgive you, knowing that you perhaps had no choice in the matter, but others, mostly those who have left, can't and most want to overthrow the king, rebellion is stirring up down in the towns, Phineas and the threat of King Phillip is getting stronger."

There was silence between the two for a moment then Sarah withdrew her hold on Phineas and held out a tray of food to him, slipping it beneath the bars of the door "Here...It's not much, but judging by the amount of time you've been down here, you need it."

Phineas snatched up the food ravenously and wolfed it down his throat and in a matter of seconds it was all gone, leaving him feeling slightly sick but his stomach felt more or less satisfied.

"C...Can you get...Me out?" Phineas asked.

"I could try, the king isn't keeping an eye on you anymore and since a lot of order and guard's are gone, I think I should be able to, it's just a matter of getting the keys and I already risked it coming down here to bring you the food." She took his hand and squeezed it gently "But I promise Phineas, I _will _get you out of here!"

Phineas gave her a smile that felt so weak on his broken face "Thank...T-thank you Sarah..."

The girl smiled a rose, picking up the candle and turned to go "I promise you Phineas, I will try not to take too long!"

And she left, but it left a newly lit hope inside Phineas's heart.


	9. Chapter 9

"_Passing into higher forms of desire, that which slumbered in the plant, and fitfully stirred in the beast, awakes in the man."  
Henry George Quotes_

Phineas had no idea how long he had been down there any longer, he had been sick later after Sarah's arrival and it didn't really settle well as a smell either, which made him feel even more ill. Eventually, he tugged off the dress he had been wearing before and covered up the putrid smell, he had no idea why he had put the dress on for this long, maybe it had been for extra warmth, but it didn't matter now, he had hated the damn thing anyway.

He waited for what seemed like another week or so maybe, it had shocked him that he had managed to survive for this long. But he had a feeling that it was the constant hope that was gripping his heart, the kindness and promise Sarah had left behind had stayed with him and he had no doubt that she would deliver.

Noises from above were never, ever heard until one faithful day when suddenly, he could hear the faint, muffled and confused cries from the up world. Screams were heard and angry voices echoed downwards into his pit below. Phineas was so amazing at the fact that he could actually hear other human voices that when he pressed his face against the bars, he felt like they were digging into his skin.

He couldn't really make out any words, only desperate pleas and cries and then anger and hollering that gradually faded at a loud sound of clanking. Phineas dared not move from his position against the bars; he feared something terrible may have happened that someone was coming to execute him now.

The fearful red-head held his dear breath when the door above creaked open and candlelight was seen glowing down the stairs. He trembled with fear for a moment, in a constant panic that there was nothing he could do and that he was going to die.

Then the figure revealed themselves when they emerged around the corner, the light showing dark shadows of their face, making the young girl look like a ghost. Phineas let out a huge sigh of relief. It was only Sarah.

She ran up to the bars and fumbled about in the folds of her apron, her hands were trembling but Phineas saw that the bruises that were once on her arms had died down and other than that, there seemed not a mark on her and it relieved him so.

"Sarah!" He gasped, his throat dry after so long without water and the constant babbling of him talking to himself.

The girl looked up, fear and nervousness in her eyes.

"What's going on up there?" Phineas asked and took her hand, which now rested upon one of the bars "What's happening?"

"King Philip!" She blurted out and they both remained staring into the others eyes desperately, then the young servant girl dug her hands back into her apron and brought out a set of blood stained keys, Phineas wondered how the blood got there, he was about to ask, but kept his mouth shut as he saw the petrified look on Sarah's face.

The cell door clanked as it unlocked and Sarah allowed the door to swing open, leaving Phineas standing rooted to the spot staring in awe at the open door.

He thought that, as soon as that door opened, he would run out and immediately race upwards into the sun. But now, he felt scared, it had been so long, so very long since he had stepped foot outside. Fear grasped his poor heart and he stared up from the floor to Sarah, who held out her arms kindly, a weak smile on her face.

"Come on Phineas, you can do it..." She edged forward slightly and gestured him to step out "Come on... You're free..."

"F-Free..." He muttered and stared down at the floor, it looked the same outside as it did inside the cell. But just that one step and he could get out of here, see his mother, breath fresh air and step out into the sunshine. But, was he really free out there? Back into the world ruled by that King? Would Ferb come after him, like he had said he would?

Phineas took a deep breath; he would rather take the chance, so he lifted a foot slowly and stepped forward, one foot out of the cell. Then another and another, until he fell bawling into Sarah's arms, he felt so foolish, but he could not thank her in any other possible way. He was free. Free and that was all that mattered at the moment.

Sarah stroked his head softly; her own eyes stinging with tears.

"Come on," she whispered to him and took his hand, pulling him gently towards the door as his legs shook uncontrollably, he felt so weak, but the longer his stared into Sarah's hopeful eyes, the stronger he felt.

She gradually had led him upwards, up those cruel stairs of which he had been dragged down so darkly. He blotted out the memory though, time to think forward, he said to himself, you're free now. He whimpered softly as she edged the door open with her hand, he was afraid on what he may find at the top. Welcoming arms? Guards to imminently send him to death? Ferb? He shivered at that.

"Shh..." Sarah soothed and took both his hands in hers, leading him forward "its okay, come on..."

Swallowing a great lump of fear, Phineas made himself walk forward, closing his eyes, not wanting to open them on fear of what he may see. Finally, the hands that held him halted and squeezed gently, had they made it? He heard nothing as he strained to hear the world around him, only distant shouts and cries, but none so close as to harm him.

Gradually, Phineas allowed his eyes to inch slowly open and finally saw that there was no one in the room. The throne room was deserted, the thrown was empty, some of the flags were torn that hung from the ceiling and the room no longer shone with beauty.

"What happened here?" Phineas asked quietly and stared about him in shock, had Ferb really gone this mad?

"The rebels," Sarah said and pulled Phineas away towards the main doorway, they burst open loudly, a group of soldiers stood before them and a small group servants waited by their sides. Phineas yelped at the sight and leapt behind Sarah, trembling slightly.

"Phineas?" A kind, weak voice said and the red-head lifted his head, the voice sounded so familiar. Chubby and kind, one that he had held dear to his heart when he first arrived in the castle.

"Matilda?" Phineas breathed and gently pushed Sarah out of the way.

The small, kind cook didn't seem that much different, apart from a few more stressful and tiring bags under her eyes, she seemed all the more intact and well. At the sight of her, Phineas felt himself remember his own mother and how much he had come to see the old cook as a second one to him, how much she had cared for him and tended to his cuts from the clockworks. The red-head let out a huge, weak sob and leapt into the cooks arms, digging his face into her shoulder as she embraced him in a worried and loving hug.

"Oh darlin'..." She muttered and ran a hand through his greasy, unkept hair "Why you?"

Phineas sniffled and collapsed a little in her arms, his legs so shaky and weak. He noticed how much he had lost weight and finally felt how baggy and loose his clothes were. He noted the bruises and cuts along his arms and felt the slight sting upon his head. Matilda held him close and went down onto her knees as he shrunk down to the ground, kissing his forehead gently.

"We have to go," one of the guards said and tightened his grip on the spear he held. Phineas noted how paranoid and fearful his face looked and he twitched uncomfortably where he stood, eyes darting to and fro.

"We can't leave with him like this!" Matilda insisted and tried to help Phineas up to his feet, the red-head struggled slightly and finally managed to stand upright, leaning on the cook for support.

"We have no choice!" The guard said and turned around "We either go now, or let Phillip's troops finish us off! Your choice!"

Matilda hesitated for a moment and looked from the worried Sarah, to the weakening Phineas until finally nodding and following on behind the group, dragging Phineas along with the help of the serving girl.

Together, the small group made their way through the castle, the front door was not an option, Phineas saw it was blocked and barricaded from the inside as they passed and noted how they were heading towards the servants quarters.

Suddenly there was a burst of flames that parted the path in front of them, all in the group cried out in fear and those ahead of Phineas, Matilda and Sarah, yelped as their skin was burnt and clothes were singed. A few of the guards cursed and stamped out a few of the flames, another tossed off what remained of his cape and threw it on top of those blocking the path.

"Dammit!" One of them yelled and gestured the people to make their way forward and past the flames, the smoke billowed higher and the flames heated and blazed around them, spreading onwards further and further. "Move it!"

Phineas coughed loudly, his body barely coping with all the excitement and he crumpled a little, resting his arms around the two women and hacking as they pulled him across the flames, dashing down the corridors and down into the servants quarters.

Phineas's eyes rolled around inside his skull, his head feeling fuzzy and dead inside. As if bugs and maggots were gradually nibbling away at his brain. Hazily he was placed on a chair that used to be the chair that they sat at to kindle the fires. He saw Matilda and Sarah talking and moving their mouths in front of him, though he couldn't hear their voices, he seemed in his own world. Then suddenly reality hit him and he shook his head, shaking off all of the dullness.

"Phineas! Are you okay? Can you hear me?" Sarah cried desperately and the red-head reached forward and took hold of her hand, nodding numbly. "Thank the stars!" She sighed.

"Come on, we can't wait here! The troops will be here soon and by that time we need to be out of here!" One of the guards demanded and headed down the small hallway, kicking down the bolted door that led outside into the back yard gardens. A little that way, there was an ivy wall, where a hidden door lay rusting behind the entwined plants.

"Can you walk, can you move?" Matilda pushed and grabbed hold of the young man's shoulders, lifting him up to his feet that way.

Phineas coughed and nodded "I think so...W-what's happening?"

"Phillips troops are storming the castle, they've made their way into the kingdom and even some of the villages are burning!" A servant exclaimed and pushed his way past the group.

Phineas was shocked and scared at the thought of that. His mother, what had become of her? Had she found her way to safety? He gritted his teeth and hoped that she had done so and was somewhere with the neigh boughs, within a sanctuary somewhere.

"Move it!" Another guard yelled and pushed a couple of servants out of the door.

"Come on," Sarah said softly and slung Phineas's arm around her shoulders.

Phineas however, was not listening; everything around him seemed to be fading into a white light as his mind wandered further and further away from the reality of the situation. Despite his hate, fear and tragic broken heart, Phineas could only seem to think of the one who was now left alone in the castle, maybe even burning alive in his room and melting along with his madness. Was he even mad? Or was it just as Phineas felt right now, a broken heart? The red-head gasped painfully and tried to get that one person out of his head, the one who had ruined his life but had so much embraced it. Ferb.

Suddenly, Phineas pictured the King, alone as he always was, never to love and never to be free from the royal blood he was imprisoned in. Why, after all the hate and anger and abuse that green-haired noble had done to him, did Phineas seem to only think of him and his perfect touch upon his skin. Why, why is it that he couldn't stop? He was shaking now, he couldn't help it and Phineas could hear the shouts and cries of the knights and the battle that echoed on outside, even as he approached the exit, he could see the flames and feel the heat upon his face.

How could he have been so foolish?

Screaming loudly, he forced himself away from Sarah and stumbled away from her, back, back towards the servants quarters, up the steps to the door, not looking back, only hearing the painful, desperate cried of those he left behind. He could not help but let the tears of agony pierce down his face and away, sparkling like shattered glass into the night.

Why was he doing this? Why? He hated the king, he hated his very essence and the way he had treated him, yet Phineas could not help but run towards that very room where he was ripped away from innocence. Foolish, stupid, he was being ridiculous. He dashed around a corner, just as soon as a beam fell down from the ceiling above him, crashing down into a wash of embers and flames behind him, singing his baggy clothing.

He staggered forward, his weak body crying out for rest, but Phineas would not give in to it, with a newborn strength, he shot his way forward, seeing finally, the room with the double doors he always shivered at each time he passed them. But this time, no painful memories swept over him, only the desperation to grab what he came for, whatever that was, he didn't know and it burdened his dear heart.

The doors burst open before him. He was unsure on what he would see when he walked in, but he saw not of a mad king, rocking back and forth in the corner, nor saw that of blood splattered across the floor. He saw Ferb, standing alone and broken by the window, staring out to the flames below and the men of king Phillip swarming his beloved castle like cockroaches under a rock.

It seemed the king did not notice Phineas burst through those doors and they both remained in silence. Phineas glared at the back of the king's head, longing to look into those eyes for at least one last time and to see the truth, the ultimate truth.

But when the king turned, Phineas saw the bag beneath his eyes, the pain and the sorrow etched into his very features and for a moment, the shock of seeing the red-head standing right in front of him. Then he relaxed and sighed softly turning and resting forward onto his desk.

"Why are you here?" Ferb said his voice hoarse, poor and cracked.

Phineas said nothing, his voice was stolen by the presence of that of what was before him, the flames that swept up to the window scared him and his body seemed all the more weaker and vulnerable.

"Very well..." Ferb answered himself and lifted something to the light in his hands, it looked familiar. It was a parchment, a piece of paper, with looping writing noted across it and at the bottom, two signatures that seemed to glow in the light.

Then Phineas saw and he realised "Is that..."

"Our contract..." Ferb said simply and walked over to the fireplace, where, despite the current warmth of the fires outside that climbed up the walls, was burning strongly. Ferb paused for a moment, not looking back once at the red-head, the sorrows and pain lifting into the very air they breathed, Phineas could feel the tension grow and he knew what the king was going to do.

With one last sigh, Ferb tossed the parchment into the flames. They both watched as it melted and crumpled into ashes and Phineas let out a huge gasping breath, staggered to one side and leaning against the doorframe, as if a great, evil spell had been broken on him.

"You're free..." Ferb whispered and stared down to the ground, then towards the window.

Phineas blinked at him and gave another look to the fire that had swallowed his prison bond, he opened his mouth and said, in a breaking voice "Ferb...You can-,"

"No..." He said simply and turned slightly to the red-head and Phineas could see the blazing of the orange flames within those big blue eyes, swallowing the very pains of the aching world.

"But...I..."

"GO!" The king roared and tossed his body fully around, tears stinging in the corner of his eyes.

Phineas backed away slowing, shaking his head, unable to believe this to be true, he was still in the dungeon, wasn't he? Was he? No, this was real...It had to be...

"GO! GET OUT!" Ferb screamed and grabbed a ornament that rested upon the table, tossing it towards the young man in the doorway, at the sight of it hurtling towards him, Phineas dashed away, the object missed him completely and fear once more returned to his heart. That and an overwhelming agony, deep within his very soul and heart, which had broken once too many times.

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The cry of the green banshee echoed throughout the castle and Phineas could only weep as he ran, tears streaming down his face, one too many of them shed.

Back in the room, Ferb tossed everything about, flipping the desk and throwing the candles, even overturning the huge double bed until finally slamming against the wall, his hand curled up into a fist which crashed into the wall above his head. This arm gradually became loose and hand like a ragdoll above his head and he cried into the richly coloured wall, the horror of what he'd become hitting him in the back like a hammer.

He had let Phineas go... Because they say if you love something...You must let it go.


	10. Chapter 10

"_Dreams do come true, if we only wish hard enough, You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it."  
Sir James M. Barrie Quotes_

After Phineas had left, Ferb was left in the most emotional of states, one that he had been in all of his life. He was alone.

It seemed like nothing in the world would make anything better, he was a broken king and he was probably going to be kicked off the throne any moment now and Phillip may just arrive into his chambers any time now and run him through and claim the crown as his own. Ferb didn't even like the crown, such a tacky, shiny little thing, just a hat on his head, it never really said anything. He barely wore it. An ornament on a man's head can't tell someone what to do, nor can it fill up the gap where love needs to be, all the riches in the world can't fix a broken heart. Of course, he didn't know that before, now that love had touched him, he felt different. He was not immortal with that crown on his head, he was just like any other man, he could bleed at the touch of a knife.

He stood where Phineas had left him, leaning against the wall, arm above head and his cheeks damp from the strange occurrence of the tears of which he had not shed since he was a small boy. Always taught to be fearless, strong and never to back down, always get what he wanted and fight for it if he must. That didn't matter now, no matter how many times he could have been scolded or hit for it, Ferb could only want one thing now and that was Phineas.

He knew it would be impossible to stay that way with the red-head forever. But he just wanted to try, when he first laid eyes on Phineas he had felt that strange sensation that fluttered down into his gut. He had felt a strange attraction to the boy, he had been attracted to many other before Phineas, mostly women, but the glow that radiated from Phineas was like a fire that wouldn't stop burning. Ferb just had to have the young man as his own and in doing so, unlocked the series of events that had unfurled during the boy's stay in the castle.

Ferb hadn't really seen it, he had never seen Phineas and how unhappy he was, much like a animal you have locked in a cage. You can feed it, teach it tricks, pet it sometimes, but you can never take away the fact that it is imprisoned. One day, the animal will snap and will cut you. Much like Phineas had done to Ferb.

The King straightened himself up, running his hands over his rich clothing and then stood over by the window, watching as everything he called home burn into oblivion and into the uttermost pits of hell, where it belonged.

Ferb stood there, for what seemed like forever, the heat of the flames scorching and entwining itself around his window. His eyes remained bland and plain, with not light or sparkle of anticipation or the slyness of the fox inside them.

It didn't take that long for Ferb to finally sense the presence of another being behind him, watching up closely as he stared out onto the melting world. Ferb didn't really make any move to turn, instead, he shut his eyes and waited for the being to run him through and kill him. It may be Phillip, or it may be one of his guards, an assassin he had sent over to do his dirty work. Ferb no longer cared how it ended, only if it was quick.

The stranger behind him didn't say a word, nor did they move. It stood and observed the king, searching him from head to toe until finally, Ferb said, in a plain and simple voice "Aren't you going to kill me?"

In reply, the sound of metal scraping against the floor, slid over towards him, tapping him on his heels. Hesitantly, Ferb turned and saw his trusty sword at his feet, the once his father had passed down to him. He had not really used it to shed blood, but used it well in a few friendly games.

He leant down and picked it up, testing its weight and balance, just as perfect as before, then he stared up to the stranger, the assassin, wearing a dark green cloak with a hood that hid their face from view. The cloak was already dirty and scorched in some places and even torn at the ends. Ferb narrowed his eyes at them and tightened the grip on his sword. What was this guy playing at?

In reply to that question, the assassin dug one hand into the folds of the cloak and brought out their own sword, slightly curved and gleaming in the firelight. They stood there, in a calm fighting stance, the sword hung loosely to one side, whoever this person was, they were confident.

Ferb could see there was no real point in talking to this stranger, they would not speak, either that, or they could not speak. So he tightened his grip on his sword, this man wanted to fight till the death, he could plainly see that, have some fun with the spoilt little king. Of course, then if that was what he wanted, he would give it to him.

Ferb wasted no time, he raced forward, sword straight forward but was quickly deflected with ease by the assailant. He knew better, but the duel continued. The assassin was a very good swordsman, they deflected and dodged and swung their sword with very professional standards, beneath the cloak, Ferb could swear that he saw a smile escalate across the stranger's face.

The swords sparked and clanged against each other, sometimes they swung so close to the oppositions face that it cut across their arms or cheeks. The assassin had Ferb pinned against one wall at some points and others, Ferb had pinned the assassin into a corner, though, against the odds, they managed to pull away and soon they were battling their way all the way through the castle, down the main steps.

The swords swung nearly in union and the strength of the assassin seemed unwavering, they were very flexible and seemed to move much like that of a cat, swiftly stepping to one side and using sword techniques that seemed all the more familiar to Ferb as they fought.

Eventually, Ferb had the assailant and threw an almighty kick at them. The stranger fell backwards, crashing straight into the main doors that crumbled down on impact, ashes and embers showering down from the ceiling as it did. The assassin fell backwards, but didn't stop there. As they tumbled backwards through the air, they twisted their body around until they landed on the ground, on their feet. The cloak wafted in the breeze, the fire burning all around them, the castle behind Ferb was alight and pouring its death upon them.

There was now no doubt in Ferb's mind on who this person was, the way they stood, fought and battled, it was all too familiar and recognisable to forget. He stepped out from the doorway and out into the gardens, the flowers burned too, turning to black and ash before his very eyes. He stood there, the sword relaxed and steady by his side as he glared with desist at the figure that stood apart from the flames.

"Isabella..." He said.

The figure shifted slightly, then gently lifted the hood away from over their face and sure enough, those blue, demon eyes pierced out from the shadows of the clothing and straight at Ferb the very essence of her soul blazing with the anger of a thousand armies.

"Why Isabella?!" Ferb demanded, his face now showing complete shock and agony, the once loyal and most trusted of his servants had become this, given his secret away, told the world of his love to a boy, to a servant no less.

The girl narrowed her eyes and tossed of side of the cloak around the other side of her body, the snake-like armour she wore black as night.

"You told Phillip didn't you?! Why can't you understand that I love him? Why can't you just let us be?!"

Now here eyes were like daggers and she threw them at the green-haired king, her sword lifted and pointed itself at his head "I did more than that, my dear KING!" She spat and stepped forward slightly "I told him you plotted to kill his daughter, told him you had killed her in order to be with a servant boy!"

Ferb's eyes widen and he shook his head, his grip upon his sword so tight it felt like it would mould into the metal "But WHY, Isabella?! WHY?!"

"BECAUSE I LOVED YOU!" She screamed, her voice so high pitched and so much in pain that it sounded like that of a banshee, screeching its way into the night. "Why could you have just loved me back? Why could you have just been with me! ME! I gave you everything! I could have given you more, but you pushed me away, tossed me aside like nothing but a piece of meat!"

"I could never have loved you though, Isabella!" Ferb shouted and shifted where he stood "I couldn't have! I just couldn't!"

The raven-haired girl screamed and lunged forward, her sword blows were now heavy and it forced Ferb down and backwards, he stumbled and tripped over his own feet, his dodges and deflects clumsy and weak. The pain at seeing what Isabella had become forcing his mind to its knees.

"YOU. BETRAYED. ME." Isabella yelled with each strike of her sword "I. LOVED. YOU. AND YOU...BETRAYED. ME!"

She screamed one last time and her sword swung through to Ferb, he held his sword up, desperate to block the attack, but instead, the blade he held was sliced right in half by Isabella's. The handle and the jiggered, broken tip of his father's sword lay useless in Ferb's hands. Isabella swiped her sword across the handle, slitting Ferb's fingers slightly and sending the broken sword across the cobble-stone path.

Ferb was on his knees and the pain in his heart was stronger than ever before.

Isabella's eyes blazed brightly in the illuminating fire, her black and green clothing shone and the snakes that wound around it, hissed and spitting.

She had him now though, sword lifted backwards, ready to plunge itself into the king's body. He had no weapon now, no means of survival. What did it matter anyway? Everything he loved and cherished in life was gone and even all of those treasures that were burning down did no compare to the one he had let go.

"How shall I do this then?" Isabella hissed cruel and darkly "In the stomach maybe? I could watch you throw up your guts! Or maybe in a lung, a long, chocking death...Or maybe..." She pulled the sword back, finding her target and eyeing it there, her long raven hair bellowing in the wind as Ferb laid there, helpless "Right in the heart!" She snarled "Right in that cold, stone heart of yours!"

Ferb made no movements to run, where was there to go? Everyone had abandoned him or been killed too, if he ran away now, he'd be hunted later. But couldn't gather the strength to anyway, everything inside him, his soul, was useless now, useless unless a piece of that, stone cold heart of his was returned. It never would be.

The sword came forward, it looked like it was hurtling towards him with so much speed, it was a blur, and he was scared. Scared because he was about to die and also scared because he had never felt so much fear in his life. But as the sword came forward, Ferb saw something dash its way in front of him.

For a moment, he thought it was one of the plants, one of the flowers, the streak of red that smudged in front of him told him so, a rose caught in the wind. Then Ferb realised he could not feel any pain, not any physically anyway, he looked down to his chest, his torso, nothing. He'd not been hit, then, where was Isabella?

The green-haired boy looked up and he gasped a painful intake of breath, his mouth going dry at what he saw.

Isabella was still there; her sword clearly plunged forward, hitting some kind of target, but not Ferb. Her face was full of shock and yet the great revengeful satisfaction shone across her face and she smiled a little as she pulled the crimson-draped sword away from its bodily sheathe.

The victim stood there, swaying on the spot for a moment, face filled with horror and a pain that made Ferb's arms shake with fear. The body fell backwards, the red flying past the person's face as it did and with stumbling steps, Ferb caught him in his arms, cradling him like a newborn and setting him gently on his lap as they came to rest on the ground.

Tears were falling from Ferb's eyes, he'd never really encountered them before and it stung his field of vision, his heart thundered inside of him, that black rock of endless wanting and no needing. Taking in a breath of ragged air, the young king took the body's hand, it was so cold and it was shaking slightly.

"Phineas..." Ferb whispered and the red-head's eyes opened a crack, so filled with agony of both the mental and physical kind, that it made Ferb's face wetter with tears still. Ferb could see how thin and weak the boy looked and how pale was his skin and that hurt even more, he had done this, he had done this to him.

"H-Hello..." Phineas said simply, his voice was ragged, struggling to breathe and even struggling to say just one word.

"I...I don't understand," Ferb stuttered and stared at the gaping, bloody hole that was Phineas's chest, then up to the boy's eyes, that shone dimly as the life drained out from him "You left...I let you go...w-why did you come back?"

Phineas smiled slightly and Ferb felt a slight grip of Phineas's hand in his "I...C-couldn't...Le-ave you here...alone..."

"But...Why?" He couldn't understand it, didn't Phineas hate him, didn't Phineas always want to leave? "Why did you..." He stared down again at the wound and his chocked a little, watching as the very red of his rose dripped from its body.

"B-because..." He gasped painfully, Ferb saw the pure agony that burnt in the boy's eyes and held Phineas closer, giving him a comfort that Ferb hadn't even felt before, Phineas continued "Because... It t-ook me too long...to realise that..." He coughed loudly, blood trickled down the side of his lips, showing so brightly against his now pale skin "I...I love you too Ferb...and I ca-n't leave you to die alone... I...I'm sorry..."

The red-head seemed to have relaxed a little in Ferb's arms. The young king's tears fell even more, splashing against Phineas forehead, he sensed and felt the truth of the red-head's words and it was the greatest and richest of all of his treasures and gifts he had ever received. Someone who loved him back without the help of coins or pleasure or the need to protect a land and to join houses. Ferb loved Phineas and Phineas loved him and that made him happy.

But then, it made him feel even more hopeless at what Ferb saw before him, the crimson juice that flooded the cobble stones and the fire that seemed to be raining down on them, Ferb could feel its deadly heat.

Then, like a great boiling hot cauldron of water, Ferb's anger rose, rose into a blinding fury that made him turn around to the waiting Isabella, her face swiped with success and satisfactory, with the outlines of the venom of the snake. At the sight of her, at the sight her like that and with that blood-soaked sword in her hand, Ferb screamed, a scream that echoed throughout the kingdom and he ran forward, his blazing rage making him run straight into her, sending the unaware young woman, stumbling backwards, winded a little from the impact.

Ferb then raced to one side, swooping up the one half of the broken sword he once had, then he turned, the fire above him screaming out and he leapt forward, the blade in hand, the broken end gleaming with glee. Isabella saw it coming and deflected it just in time, but she was not used to fighting against someone wielding a half sword and was struggling to dodge and deflect at the right times.

Again and again and again Ferb lunged it forward, the fire above him showing down now, it burnt part of Isabella's face and it burnt both of their clothing. He was not about to give it up, never, not now, he would avenge his lover; he would kill this venomous snake that had once been his childhood friend.

He dashed forward and Isabella finally missed her chance of knocking the broken sword away, but the blade didn't quite hit true, it flew to one side and it cut deeply past Isabella's side, the flesh releasing its red. Ferb half expected it to be black or green, but the red was just as the same as the one that flowed from Phineas's body.

The girl screamed in pain and staggered backwards, clutching the wound, trying to stop the blood flow, she was panting now, struggling, but Ferb would not give her rest, he leapt forward again, the broken sword doing more work than ever and it gashed her left cheek as she missed again.

Isabella wasn't going to give up now though, she dodged the next attack and swung her sword around to him, it slashed across his chest with a swift strike and he gasped as the air was knocked from him. He fell back a bit, his free hand gripping the wound and the ripped clothing that began to soak with crimson. Isabella smiled, but Ferb snarled, not wanting to give her any more satisfaction.

He lunged forward, bringing the sword down on her, harder this time, knocking her backwards, he smacked the broken blade down on her, again and again and again, she began to struggle even harder to dodge or knock it away until finally, Ferb gave the final blow of which her sword was thrown away from her hand, flying through the air and landing smack into the earth a few metres away. She was on her knees now, her face staring up at the young king, who stared back with victory and anger in his eyes. The broken blade pointed at her slender neck.

"Go on then!" She hissed between her teeth, now both her hands placed on the wound in her side "End it! Strike me down, oh dear king!" Her voice spat with sarcasm and darkness.

Ferb looked down on her, panting painfully, his chest stung with the wound, which felt deeper than it really was. He had always looked down on Isabella, maybe that was wrong to have done, look what had happened. But she loved him never in the same way he would love her back, her constant devotion and loyalty to him had only been hinged on the fact that she hoped one day she would be queen. Was that true love? He narrowed his eyes, maybe her own love for him was fake, maybe she only wanted the power and now King Philip had given it to her. No, she had never _really_ loved him. As a child, maybe, when her sweetness and innocence was not corrupted like now, she had never really loved him, only loved his land, his money and his endless amount of treasures.

But could he really kill her? She stared at him with such spite and venom now, that she barely seemed like that little girl he had played hide and seek with as a child. That same girl who he held hands with when she got scared of the thunder and lightning, the same little girl who had terrorised the cooks with and stole the puddings with. He saw a shadow of what she once was, now just the snake that ate away her childhood.

"Oh Isa..." He said sadly, he had not called her that since they were children. He lowered his sword, seeing the shock on her face "Isa..." His rage dimmed and he fought back those lonely, forgotten tears "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." The young king turned and looked over towards Phineas, whose chest rose and fell slowly, so slowly, barely visible, then he shut his eyes, wanting to cut himself away from the world and he tightened a grip on his bleeding chest "Go..." He said, aiming towards Isabella behind him "Go...And never EVER come back!" He spat the last few words out.

He heard the girl rise to her feet behind him and then the shifting of her feet on the ground as she turned and walked away. Not a word was said and Ferb let out a huge, saddening sigh that thundered his heart.

But it was not over.

There was a huge scream of rage and Ferb span around, Isabella had her sword in hand once more and she was coming right at him. He quickly stepped to one side, but not in time, the sword pierced into him, just into his side and sticking itself there, he cried out in agony but drove it out, spinning it around holding the broken sword in one hand, Isabella's in the other.

Isabella cried out, her hands outreached, as if wanting to gauge Ferb's eyes out with her nails and this time, without a second thought or hesitation, Ferb swiped the swords forward and watched painfully, in terror and horror as Isabella's head rolled down to the ground and her body crumpled into a sickening heap.

He stared at it for a moment, bile rising up into his throat but he forced it back down, feeling the nausea rise up in him. The two swords slipped from his grasp and clattered to the floor and he turned, leaving them there, the battle was finished. No more fighting. No more fighting.

With shaking legs and aching limbs, he made his way forward, the fire spitting above him, sending down its ash and embers, as if the flames themselves were crying. His wound throbbed and he gasped, his chest stinging and the hole in his body seeping out its blood, with a few more steps to spare, Ferb fell to the ground, Phineas just in front of him.

Panting and letting out ragged breaths of dying air, Ferb dragged himself forward, the cobbles getting smeared with the red and he did so until he found his way beside Phineas's still form, his chest rising and falling, slower than before and not as visible.

"Phineas..." He choked and lay down beside him, facing upwards to the stars and the edge of the flames that burnt the castle down "Phineas...Can you hear me?"

In reply, a weak, shaking hand reached out and took his, it was freezing cold and Ferb regretted ever leaving his side.

"I...Is...It done?" Phineas whispered.

"Yes," Ferb simply said "Yes it is."

"Good..." Phineas sighed and his head rolled back a little and Ferb saw the red-head's eyes dimming, looking intently and lovingly up to the stars.

"Don't you dare...die before...me..." Ferb hissed between his teeth and clasped the cold hand tighter.

Phineas didn't answer, as if he was in a world of his own, as if he didn't hear him.

"Did you...hear me Phineas?" Ferb gasped "I said, don't die before...me...I order...you as king..." That was ridiculous, Phineas wouldn't ever listen to him and he was no longer king anyway, people had kicked him off the throne, but inside, Ferb had resigned himself from his duties for love. He didn't even feel like he himself was dying, he just felt weak but he hoped against hope that he wouldn't die last, Phineas needed him.

"It's like a clock..." Phineas whispered and Ferb looked over to him, the boy's gaze was still on the sky and the green-haired boy looked up to them too, not understanding "Don't you...s-see...It, Ferb?"

He didn't answer.

"L-look..." Phineas pointed upwards with his other hand, it was shaking, and barely rising from the ground "The stars look like the numbers...a-and some lo-ok like...the hands... C-can you see it?"

Ferb looked up; he saw the sky dimming, feeling himself sink into oblivion slowly and steadily, and feeling himself being drained of colour and life. But yes, when he looked between the lines of what his eyes were made to see, he saw it, the dials and the numbers, the hands spinning slowly. It looked beautiful.

"Yes...I see it..." He whispered to the red-head.

Phineas lowered his hand onto his chest and smiled "Great..." He whispered back "C-can you see anything...?"

Ferb looked intently at the sky, his vision blurring and there, he saw it, fluttering down like snow from the sky, as if the stars were showering them in fairy dust, he gripped Phineas's hand, a smile spread widely across his face. A real smile, a happy smile.

"A rose," he said and chuckled a little, it was so silly.

Phineas giggled a little, but it ended in a weak cough, his eyes closing "Is it...beautiful?"

"Yes... Yes it is..." Ferb said and his fell back into the darkness, or the light, he saw both at once and it filled him with such happiness and contentment that he sighed happily in relief.

Beside him, Phineas was unmoving, his hand was loose in Ferb's, yet the young king didn't feel himself edging any closer to the darkness. So he lay there, hoping it would come soon.

It was later when King Philips troops found them that they saw, not a king or a servant, not a lord or a lady. But two lovers. They lay, hand in hand, staring up to the night sky, smiles on their faces, entwined with sadness and tragedy.

There are many stories concerning the two lovers. Phineas died according to most of them, the young clockmaker was buried beneath the roses and some say that Ferb was buried beside him, with violets as his own shelter. There are some stories where Ferb survived and was locked away in the dungeons that now became Phillip's castle or maybe executed later. Others say that the king lived on, crippled and broken but with the clockmaker's mother who treated him as her own son knowing of the forbidden love between him and her son. Ferb became a clockmaker in the end too, working in the very same workshop as his lover did and making a living by making and fixing the clocks in the kingdom.

Some say two women come and visit the King in his workshop often and together they go and stand by the boy's grave, hand in hand. One woman old and chubby, the other slender and wise.

Whether any of these stories are true or not, it all started off with just a drop of desire.

THE END


End file.
